Singer Yoo Seung-jun (Steve Yoo)'s legal battle over his entry into South Korea has reached a verdict again after 23 years. He has won the third visa lawsuit. Attention is focused on whether he can escape the stigma of draft evasion.
The Administrative Fifth Division of the Seoul Administrative Court (Chief Judge Lee Jung-won) ruled in favor of the plaintiff in the first trial of Yoo Seung-jun's lawsuit against the Consulate General of South Korea in Los Angeles over the refusal to issue a visa on the afternoon of the 28th.
The court stated, "It is difficult to see that Yoo Seung-jun's actions pose a risk of harming the Republic of Korea's national security, maintaining order, and diplomatic relations," and added, "The damage that Yoo Seung-jun would suffer is greater than the public interest that could be gained by maintaining the entry ban. This violates the principle of proportionality."
Additionally, the court noted, "Given the current situation where public awareness has matured sufficiently, the likelihood that Yoo Seung-jun's entry would cause substantial harm to Korean society is low," and canceled the visa refusal.
However, the court dismissed Yoo Seung-jun's lawsuit filed in 2002 against the Ministry of Justice claiming that "there is no entry ban measure in place." The court made it clear that "this ruling does not mean that Yoo Seung-jun's past acts of draft evasion were justified," and that moral condemnation remains.
#. Will the controversy from 23 years ago still hold him back?
Yoo Seung-jun debuted as a singer in 1997 and was the top star in South Korea until the early 2000s. However, ahead of his military enlistment in 2002, he suddenly obtained American citizenship, renounced his South Korean nationality, and was exempted from military service. As a result, the Ministry of Justice immediately decided to ban his entry, and he has not set foot on Korean soil for 23 years, working only abroad.
Since 2015, he has attempted to secure a visa by filing several administrative lawsuits. In 2020, he seemed to open the possibility of returning home by winning in the Supreme Court, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the consulate general in Los Angeles once again refused to issue the visa, and the legal battle has continued.
#. "I won the law, but couldn't gain the heart" public opinion is cold
With this ruling, Yoo Seung-jun has again laid the groundwork for possibly entering South Korea, but public reaction is chilly. In portal comment sections and online communities, reactions such as "Even if it can't be blocked by law, the issue is public sentiment," "The sense of betrayal does not fade even after 20 years," and "Other young people have completed military service; it's not fair" have prevailed.
On the other hand, some minority opinions state, "It's been several decades; shouldn't we forgive him now?" and "If there are no legal issues, there's no reason to block his entry."
Ultimately, despite this victory, the situation remains such that Yoo Seung-jun's return will inevitably trigger social controversy.
[Photo] 'OSEN DB'
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