Yoo Seung-jun, in third lawsuit against entry ban, says "I love you, Republic of Korea"

Third Lawsuit's First Hearing on the 20th
Ministry of Justice: "Entry Ban Still Necessary"

Singer Yoo Seung-jun (Steve Yoo), who has been banned from entering South Korea for 23 years due to evading military service, expressed his longing for Korea and his feelings toward his fans through social media (SNS). Yoo is currently undergoing his third administrative lawsuit against the Ministry of Justice, demanding the nullification of the entry ban.

Singer Steve Yoo, who has been banned from entering the country for 23 years. Steve Yoo Instagram

On the 21st, Yoo Seung-jun posted a lengthy message along with a video, stating, "When one door closes, another door opens, and when one door opens, another door closes," adding, "It doesn’t mean that because a door is open, you should go through it, nor does it mean that because a door is closed, you shouldn’t open it." He expressed his feelings, saying, "I quietly walk the path my father has set for me. Whether people acknowledge it or not, it no longer matters to me."

The post included hashtags such as 'Love you', 'Bless you', 'Republic of Korea', 'My beloved people', and 'It will be okay'.

He continued, "Thank you. And I love you. Even after such a long time, I am so happy that my beloved fans have not forgotten me, have come to the courts to support me, and that there are still people who remember and cheer for me." He added, "I am always sorry that I can’t do anything for you. I believe that someday a day will come when I can repay that love. I love you all. I have loved, I love, and I will continue to love you."

Yoo Seung-jun debuted in April 1997. In January 2002, just before his military enlistment, he left the country under the pretext of a performance and acquired U.S. citizenship at a Los Angeles court, thereby losing his Korean nationality. Subsequently, the Ministry of Justice restricted his entry into South Korea. At age 39 in 2015, he applied for an Overseas Korean visa (F-4) at the LA Consulate General but was denied. He filed a lawsuit to cancel the visa refusal, claiming the entry ban was unjust, and won at the Supreme Court. However, in July 2020, he applied again for a visa under the Overseas Korean residency status at the LA Consulate General but was refused. In October of the same year, he filed another lawsuit at the Seoul Administrative Court to cancel the visa refusal. He won the final appeal on November 30, 2023.

Nevertheless, the LA Consulate General again refused to issue a visa in June last year. In response, Yoo Seung-jun filed a third lawsuit three months later in September, including a suit to cancel the refusal and a confirmation suit against the Ministry of Justice regarding the non-existence of the entry ban decision. The Ministry of Justice argued at the first hearing, "Even if nationality was lost to evade military service, the former Overseas Korean Act stipulates that Overseas Korean residency status can be granted after the age of 38, but separate from that, considering national interests and public welfare, the necessity of the entry ban still exists." The court decided to hold one more hearing on May 8 to conclude the arguments.