Singer Yoo Seung-jun (48, American name Steve Seung-jun Yoo) will receive the result of his third administrative lawsuit regarding the issuance of his visa to enter Korea on August 28.
The 5th Administrative Division of the Seoul Administrative Court (Chief Judge Lee Jeong-won) concluded the hearings on the lawsuit filed by Yoo Seung-jun against the LA Consulate General for the cancellation of the visa issuance refusal and the lawsuit against the Minister of Justice for the confirmation of the non-existence of the entry ban, designating the verdict date for August 28.
On this day, Yoo Seung-jun's side argued that the case violated the principles of proportionality and equality, citing soccer player Seok Hyun-jun, who received a suspended prison sentence for evading military service, while the LA Consulate General countered that the cases were different.
Yoo Seung-jun's side claimed, "We believe that the factual judgment has been concluded in the previous ruling. The entry ban should be lifted through a Supreme Court ruling, and it has been determined that the refusal to issue a visa is illegal. Nevertheless, the LA Consulate General continues to refuse to issue the visa."
They continued, "There are no grounds for the refusal of the visa issuance, and it violates the principles of proportionality and equality, so the refusal should be canceled," adding, "Since the defendant is firmly asserting the plaintiff's entry refusal, indirect coercion is also necessary."
In response, the LA Consulate General stated, "The plaintiff's assertion of the principles of proportionality and equality and the mentioned sports star (soccer player Seok Hyun-jun, etc.) case is different from the plaintiff's case. Regarding the indirect coercion, it seems that the plaintiff's application for indirect coercion does not meet the requirements. Please consider this when making your judgment."
Previously, Yoo Seung-jun had only sued the LA Consulate General, but this time he also filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Justice.
In this regard, Yoo Seung-jun's side emphasized, "The LA Consulate General claims that it is refusing to issue a visa because there is a decision to ban entry by the Minister of Justice. Therefore, we have also filed a lawsuit for the confirmation of the non-existence of the entry ban against the Ministry of Justice."
In response, the Ministry of Justice stated, "The decision to ban entry is the authority and discretion of the Minister of Justice," arguing, "The plaintiff is continuously engaging in disputes with the public. If the plaintiff were to enter the country, it could cause social chaos," thus countering that the entry ban decision is lawful.
Yoo Seung-jun debuted in 1997 and was loved for numerous hit songs such as "Gawi," "Passion," and "Na Na Na," but he was banned from entering the country due to the controversy over evading military service after obtaining U.S. citizenship before his enlistment in 2002.
After being unable to set foot in Korea for several years, he applied for an overseas Korean visa (F-4) in 2015 to enter the country, but after being denied, he filed a lawsuit to cancel the refusal and ultimately won. However, the LA Consulate General again refused to issue the visa, and Yoo Seung-jun filed a second cancellation lawsuit, winning again in the Supreme Court in November 2023.
However, in 2024, the LA Consulate General refused to issue the visa again, stating, "After reviewing with the Ministry of Justice, we decided to ban Yoo Seung-jun's entry, as his actions after July 2, 2020 (the date of the second refusal) could pose a risk to the national security, order maintenance, public welfare, and diplomatic relations of Korea."
In response, Yoo Seung-jun initiated a third legal battle against the government by filing a lawsuit to cancel the refusal decision and confirm the non-existence of the entry ban in September of the same year.
[Lee Da-kyum, Star Today Reporter]
