Singer Yoo Seung-jun (48, American name Steven Seung-jun Yoo) has won his third lawsuit regarding visa issuance, but the legal battle continues due to an appeal from the Consulate General in Los Angeles.
According to the legal community on the 18th, the Consulate General in Los Angeles recently filed an appeal against the Seoul Administrative Court's ruling that ordered the cancellation of the refusal to issue a visa for Yoo's entry into Korea.
Previously, on the 28th of last month, the 5th Division of the Seoul Administrative Court held a ruling date for the lawsuit filed by Yoo Seung-jun against the Consulate General in Los Angeles regarding the refusal of visa issuance, and ruled in favor of the plaintiff. The court stated, "We have determined that granting Yoo Seung-jun entry does not pose a risk to the public interest. When comparing the public interest gained from prohibiting Yoo Seung-jun's entry and his private interest, we believe that the degree of infringement on Yoo Seung-jun is greater, which violates the principle of proportionality."
However, it also stated, "This conclusion does not mean that we consider Yoo Seung-jun's past actions to be appropriate."
Yoo Seung-jun debuted in 1997 and was loved for numerous hit songs such as 'Gawi', 'Passion', and 'Na Na Na', but he became embroiled in a military service evasion controversy after acquiring U.S. citizenship just before his enlistment in 2002, leading to a ban on his entry into Korea.
According to the Military Manpower Administration, at that time, Yoo Seung-jun had a confirmed enlistment date, making it impossible for him to leave the country. However, he expressed his intention to return within the period and boarded a plane through the return guarantee system. But he suddenly acquired citizenship and gave up on returning to Korea.
In 2015, Yoo Seung-jun applied for an overseas Korean visa (F-4) to enter Korea, but after being denied, he filed a lawsuit to cancel the refusal and ultimately won. However, despite the Supreme Court's ruling, the Consulate General in Los Angeles again refused to issue the visa, stating, "Yoo Seung-jun's evasion of military service poses a risk to national interest."
In response, Yoo Seung-jun filed a second lawsuit in October 2020, and in November 2023, he won the final ruling from the Supreme Court. Nevertheless, after being denied visa issuance again, he filed a third lawsuit against the Consulate General in Los Angeles in September last year to cancel the refusal and also filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Justice to confirm the non-existence of the entry ban decision.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
