[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Steve Seungjun Yoo (45, Korean name Yoo Seung-jun), a singer-turned-actor, has appealed a ruling in which he lost his second lawsuit requesting the issuance of a visa to enter South Korea.
According to the legal community on the 20th, Yoo submitted an appeal to the Seoul Administrative Court Administrative Division 5 (Chief Judge Kim Soon-yeol) on the same day.
Last month, the court ruled against Yoo in his lawsuit against the Consulate General in Los Angeles (LA) seeking to cancel the refusal to issue a passport and visa. The court stated, "The plaintiff's actions involved deceiving a government agency to leave the country through irregular means and then undergoing the naturalization process," and added, "This is an act that may harm the public interest, such as maintaining order or public welfare in the Republic of Korea."
It also pointed out, "There is no doubt that the plaintiff's existence causes great loss and deprivation to the soldiers of the Republic of Korea and their families, who were mobilized at the forefront or in difficult terrain, risking their lives and enduring much pain and danger."
Yoo acquired U.S. citizenship to evade military service and was restricted from entering South Korea in 2002. He attempted to enter the country with an overseas Korean visa but was denied issuance. He then filed an administrative lawsuit and won a final ruling in 2020. However, even after the Supreme Court ruling, the LA Consulate General again refused Yoo's visa application, leading him to file another administrative lawsuit.
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