Singer Yoo Seung-jun (legal name Steve Yoo, 49), who has been banned from entering Korea over a draft-dodging controversy, drew attention while promoting the documentary film The Founding War 2.
On the 16th, Yoo Seung-jun posted a movie poster on his social media (SNS) along with the caption, "Twisted and distorted truths. A must-see film."
The Founding War 2 is a sequel to the documentary The Founding War, which drew 1.17 million viewers last year. While the previous film focused on former President Rhee Syng-man, this installment addresses the Jeju April 3 Incident and ideological conflict after liberation, declaring a "reappraisal of the period before and after liberation from a communist perspective." It opened on the 10th and is currently No. 8 at the box office.
Earlier, on 13th, he also said on his personal YouTube channel, "At times, my heart collapses because of twisted truths and distorted sincerity, but the reason I keep going is because I have a family I love." The remark is seen as a rebuttal to composer Yoon Il-sang, who publicly targeted Yoo Seung-jun, saying, "If you made a promise to the public, you should have kept it to the end. If you couldn't, you should have offered a sincere apology."
Yoo Seung-jun rose to the ranks of top stars in the late 1990s with hits such as "Scissors," "Na Na Na," and "Passion," but in 2002 he obtained U.S. citizenship ahead of his mandatory military service and faced a fierce backlash. The government, citing the Immigration Control Act that year, banned his entry, and since then Yoo Seung-jun has been unable to set foot on Korean soil for more than 20 years.
He later applied for an overseas Korean visa (F-4) in 2015 but filed suit after it was denied, and he won twice after a legal battle that went up to the Supreme Court. However, the Los Angeles Consulate General has continued to refuse to issue a visa, and a third lawsuit is now underway.
Right after the ruling, Yoo Seung-jun shared his feelings, saying, "How great would it be if we could live without mistakes and regrets? In life, we realize the value only after losing it."