Singer Yu Seung-jun (U.S. name Steve Seung-jun Yu) expressed his feelings that he hopes the distorted truth will be cleared up and misunderstandings corrected, but he is facing strong backlash.
Debuting in 1997 with his first album "West Side," Yu Seung-jun was very active with numerous hit songs. In particular, he publicly declared at the time that he would enlist in the military but suddenly obtained U.S. citizenship to avoid his military service obligation. Because of this, Yu Seung-jun has been barred from entering Korea since 2002.
Later, expressing his longing for Korea, Yu Seung-jun applied in August 2015 at the Los Angeles consulate general for a visa under the overseas Korean (F-4) residency status when he was 38. Under the old overseas Koreans law, even if someone lost their nationality to avoid military service, they could be granted overseas Korean residency status when they turned 38. The Los Angeles consulate general refused to issue the visa, and Yu Seung-jun filed a lawsuit asking for its revocation.
After remand retrial and revisional review, Yu Seung-jun ultimately won a final ruling at the Supreme Court. However, the Los Angeles consulate general again refused to issue the visa, saying that Yu Seung-jun's evasion of military service could harm national interest, and Yu Seung-jun filed a second lawsuit in October 2020 and won a final ruling at the Supreme Court in November 2023. Nevertheless, the Los Angeles consulate general again refused to issue the visa in June last year, and Yu Seung-jun filed a third lawsuit in September of that year.
Although Yu Seung-jun won the first trial in the third lawsuit, it is still uncertain whether he will be able to set foot on Korean soil. He has currently launched a YouTube channel and is gearing up for a comeback.
Meanwhile, on his YouTube channel Yu Seung-jun introduced his second son and took time to talk about recent events. Yu Seung-jun said, "There are times when my chest collapses because of the twisted truth and distorted sincerity. But the reason I find strength again is because there are people I love. Some think I want to go to Korea for profit-making activities, but I am already very happy and grateful. I pray that all the misunderstandings blocking us will be resolved."
After the video was released, criticism and condemnation toward Yu Seung-jun have poured in. In this context, remarks made by then Commissioner Mo Jong-hwa of the Military Manpower Administration in 2021 at a plenary meeting of the National Defense Committee are being reexamined. At the time, Commissioner Mo said, "Steve Yu is distorting facts to create favorable public opinion for himself, moving away from the essence of military service obligations, so I did not feel it necessary to respond to each point."
Commissioner Mo said, "There are 3,000 to 4,000 nationality changes or evaders a year, and 95% of them are people living abroad who do not undergo physical examinations," adding, "Steve Yu is unique in that he carried out activities in the country to earn profit, underwent a physical examination in Korea, and even received a draft notice before obtaining U.S. citizenship. They are talking about fairness, but that does not match the facts."
He also said, "He claims, 'I am exempt from military service,' but that misleads the public. Military service exemptions are granted by the Military Manpower Administration to people rated grade 5 in the physical exam, not as a reward. In 1996 the Seoul Administrative Court ruled that Steve Yu was a military service evader," adding, "When he left the country he applied for permission for overseas travel, promising the Military Manpower Administration it was for a 'performance.' But he did not keep that promise and obtained U.S. citizenship, so he is clearly a military service evader. The reason he could not be punished is that he no longer had Korea nationality."
Composer Yoon Il-sang, who produced Yu Seung-jun's albums and says he still keeps in touch with him, also strongly criticized him. Yoon Il-sang said, "In person he is actually very agreeable, but maybe because I saw him as a difficult case I didn't let him get close. We mostly talked about music, and it seemed Yu Seung-jun's heart was in the U.S. He is American but also Korean, and he seemed to think Korea is a place driven by business. I think he believed his home was the U.S., so he made an unreasonable choice. Didn't he boast and make promises to the public? If he couldn't keep them, he should have offered a sincere apology. An apology must continue until the person receiving it accepts it. He should apologize honestly; there was a strong feeling of betrayal toward the country. I sometimes keep in touch, and if because of this video Yu Seung-jun won't see me, there's nothing I can do. Personally I don't hate him, but as the entertainer Yu Seung-jun he clearly did wrong. Anyone can make mistakes, but what matters is how you treat them afterward. It seems the apology hasn't even begun."
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