Some fans of singer Yoo Seung-jun (Steve Yoo), who has been banned from entering the country for over 20 years due to controversy over military evasion, requested a pardon from President Lee Jae-myung. However, the public is showing a cold reaction, stating, "We cannot grant absolution for actions that deceived the citizens."
Yoo Seung-jun's fans claimed on the 9th in a statement from the online community "DC Inside Yoo Seung-jun Gallery," "Please apply fairness to Yoo Seung-jun as seen in the examples of politicians' pardons." They reasoned that, despite the Supreme Court ruling twice that the visa refusals were unlawful, he is still barred from entry. Furthermore, they demanded, "He has sufficiently shouldered social responsibility" and called for a decision in the context of national unity.
However, public opinion is quite the opposite. Many netizens criticized, stating, "The fans are shameless," "He only paid the price for deceiving the country and its citizens," and "The entry ban is justified." The remarks that equate his case to political pardons under the guise of 'fairness' are pointed out to be inflaming anger.
Yoo Seung-jun came into the spotlight for military evasion controversy after acquiring U.S. citizenship following his departure for a performance in 2002, losing his Korean nationality. He has been banned from entering the country for 23 years. He has filed lawsuits to revoke the refusal of his overseas compatriate (F-4) visa issuance three times, winning twice, but the Los Angeles Consulate General refused him a visa again in June of last year, and a third lawsuit is currently underway.
The public's gaze remains cold. Regardless of legal rulings, the demand for a pardon holds little meaning in a situation where trust has not been restored regarding the "precedent of deceiving the citizens and fleeing."
[Photo] Yoo Seung-jun SNS
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