Won the case but... Yu Seung-jun faces 'entry refusal' again, "Filing lawsuit again"

Consulate General in Los Angeles Notifies Visa Issuance Denial Decision

Singer Yoo Seung-jun, who was denied entry to South Korea for over 20 years due to evading military service, filed lawsuits against the Republic of Korea to gain entry and won twice, but his return to Korea has been thwarted once again, Money Today reported on the 27th.

The Consulate General in Los Angeles notified Yoo Seung-jun on June 18 that his visa application, submitted in February, was denied. In response, Yoo Seung-jun filed another lawsuit against the South Korean government.

The Consulate General stated in the visa denial notice, "The Ministry of Justice has decided to maintain the entry ban on Mr. Yoo Seung-jun, and due to concerns that Mr. Yoo's actions after July 2, 2020, may harm South Korea's national security, public order, public welfare, diplomatic relations, and other interests, the visa issuance to Mr. Yoo has been denied again."

The date "July 2, 2020," mentioned in the notice, refers to when Yoo Seung-jun received his second visa denial. At that time, he applied for a visa under the Overseas Korean resident status at the Consulate General but was rejected. He then expressed his grievances through YouTube and AfreecaTV. In October of that year, he filed another lawsuit at the Seoul Administrative Court to cancel the visa denial, ultimately winning the final appeal on November 30 of last year.

Despite his legal victories, the Consulate General and the Ministry of Justice blocked Yoo Seung-jun's entry again, citing new reasons. Consequently, Yoo Seung-jun filed a third lawsuit in mid-this month against the Consulate General to cancel the visa denial. He also filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Justice to confirm the non-existence of an entry ban decision.

Yoo Seung-jun debuted as a singer in April 1997. In January 2002, just before his enlistment, he acquired U.S. citizenship through a Los Angeles court, thereby losing his South Korean nationality. Subsequently, the Ministry of Justice restricted his entry. At age 39, in 2015, he applied for an Overseas Korean visa (F-4) at the LA Consulate General but was denied. He then filed a lawsuit to cancel the visa denial, claiming the entry ban was unjust, and won at the Supreme Court. This was his first legal victory.

In April, Yoo Seung-jun expressed his frustration on his social media, saying, "What seemed like a brief farewell has lasted 22 years, and the date we will meet again is still unclear," and added, "It has been four months since the Supreme Court victory in the visa issuance lawsuit, but there has been no news."