23-Year Attempt to Return to Korea, Yoo Seung-jun's Third Administrative Lawsuit Proceeding
Singer Yoo Seung-jun (48, American name Steve Seung-jun Yoo), who has been banned from entering South Korea for 23 years due to military service evasion controversy, is undergoing the second hearing of his third administrative lawsuit against the government.
According to the legal community, on the 26th, the Fifth Administrative Division of the Seoul Administrative Court (Chief Judge Lee Jeong-won) held the second hearing for Yoo Seung-jun's lawsuit against the Consulate General in Los Angeles and the Ministry of Justice, titled "Cancellation of Visa Issuance Refusal and Confirmation of Non-existence of Immigration Ban Decision."
Initially, the second hearing was scheduled for May 8 but was postponed to the 26th. Yoo's side argued during the first hearing held in March that, despite Supreme Court rulings in the first and second lawsuits stating that a visa should be issued, the Ministry of Justice's immigration ban decision continues to exist, leading to ongoing visa refusals. They requested confirmation of the non-existence and invalidity of the 2002 immigration ban decision.
Confirmation of the non-existence and invalidity of the 2002 immigration ban decision
Intense Legal Battle: Principle of Proportionality vs. Public Interest
Yoo's side emphasized the absence of grounds for visa refusal by citing examples such as soccer player Seok Hyun-jun, arguing that such actions violate the principle of proportional equality and reiterating the necessity of entry approval and indirect compulsion.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Justice rebutted that "the immigration ban decision is the authority and discretion of the Minister of Justice," stating that "Yoo Seung-jun could cause social disruption upon entry as he has been continually in conflict with the public."
Yoo Seung-jun debuted in 1997 and gained popularity with numerous hit songs like "Gawi," "Passion," and "Na Na Na," but he was banned from entering Korea after acquiring U.S. citizenship before his 2002 military enlistment, leading to the controversy over military service evasion.
Since then, he has been unable to set foot in Korea for years, and when he applied for an Overseas Korean Visa (F-4) in 2015 and was denied, he filed a lawsuit to cancel this decision and eventually won.
However, the LA Consulate General again denied his visa issuance, and Yoo filed a second cancellation lawsuit, ultimately winning in the Supreme Court once more in November 2023.
Yet, in 2024, the LA Consulate General decided to ban Yoo Seung-jun's entry after consultation with the Ministry of Justice, stating that his actions since the second refusal on July 2, 2020, could jeopardize the national security, order maintenance, public welfare, and diplomatic relations of the Republic of Korea.
In response, Yoo filed a cancellation lawsuit against the refusal decision and a lawsuit confirming the non-existence of the immigration ban decision in September of last year, marking the beginning of his third administrative lawsuit. The outcome of this lawsuit may serve as a new turning point in the 23-year-long controversy surrounding Yoo Seung-jun's immigration ban.
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