Singer and actor Yu Seung-jun (Steve Yoo) is drawing attention after it became known that he will hold a Q&A with fans for the first time in 24 years. At the same time, former Military Manpower Administration chief Mo Jong-hwa's "fact-check" remarks about him are being reexamined.
On the 2nd, Yu Seung-jun posted a new video titled "Yu Seung-jun Q&A starts" on his social media.
In the video, Yu Seung-jun said "I am doing very well" when giving an update and drew attention by saying, "Because I believe I can share an honest, sincere life as it is more than anyone, I'm going to try a Q&A."
He also reflected on the past, saying, "At a young age I received a lot of love and popularity. Likewise, I received many misunderstandings, reproach and criticism," and said he would listen to fans' concerns about anything. He added, "If you have questions about me, there's nothing we can't talk about, from misunderstandings and rumors to 'Why didn't you go to the military?' I hope it becomes a time when we can be a source of strength for each other," signaling he would candidly address the controversy over evading military service.
After debuting in 1997, Yu Seung-jun received nationwide love with numerous hit songs such as "Scissors," "Passion," and "Nanana," but ahead of enlisting in 2002 he acquired U.S. citizenship and was banned from entering the country amid allegations of evading military service. He later applied for an overseas Korean visa (F-4) but was not accepted; although he won an administrative lawsuit afterward, visa issuance has been denied.
The news of Yu Seung-jun's status stirred the online community again. In February 2021, former Military Manpower Administration chief Mo Jong-hwa's remarks in a full session of the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly about Yu Seung-jun's evasion of military service resurfaced.
At the time, the former Military Manpower Administration chief opened by saying, "I'll make a few points as a fact check," and firmly emphasized, "Steve Yoo is not someone exempted from military service but a 'person who evaded military service.'" The former Military Manpower Administration chief said Yu Seung-jun calls himself a "military service exempt person," which misleads the public, explaining, "'Military service exempt person' refers to those who received a grade 5 in the physical exam from the Military Manpower Administration, and on Sept. 30, 1996, the Seoul Administrative Court ruled that 'Steve Yoo is a person who evaded military service.'"
He explained that there are 3,000 to 4,000 cases per year of nationality changes and evaders, but these are people living abroad who did not take physical examinations. He said Yu Seung-jun differs from them, explaining, "Unlike these people, Yu Seung-jun is the only person who took the physical exam and received an enlistment notice and then obtained U.S. citizenship, a person who evaded military service by an odd method." Therefore, he said it was not appropriate for him to talk about reconciliation.
The former Military Manpower Administration chief also 공개ed Yu Seung-jun's "permission to travel abroad application" form and emphasized, "When he left the country to perform overseas he promised the Military Manpower Administration when he would return. But he did not keep that promise and obtained U.S. citizenship, so he is clearly a 'person who evaded military service.'" He said the reason he could not be punished was that he no longer holds Korean nationality.
Afterward, Yu Seung-jun posted a video on his YouTube channel titled '#person who evaded military service X #I will admit it? #Mo Jong-hwa Military Manpower Administration chief #Seo Wook Minister of National Defense #judgment of the judiciary #diverting attention #rule of law #human rights abuse #inequality #equity I'll just say one more thing!' and raised his voice, "When did I ever say I was a military service exempt person? I am a person whose military service obligation was extinguished by acquiring U.S. citizenship. Isn't that why I'm filing a lawsuit? Are you playing word games now? I'm not admitting it; even if, for the sake of argument, that were true, under the Overseas Koreans Act, visa issuance is restricted for foreign-national Koreans who renounced or lost Korean nationality until they are under age 41. In other words, visas must be issued starting after age 41. Is there a provision in that law that exempts someone as detestable as Yu Seung-jun?" He repeated his anger, "Does the law say you must never grant a visa or allow entry because of public sentiment, because he's detestable?"
Yu Seung-jun also said, "Without any prior legal judgment, I have been banned from entering the country for 20 years without even being issued a visa. They trampled on an individual's human rights while treating me as someone who does not receive legal protection. They incited the media to make me a public outcast and a national scapegoat," and vented his anger at politicians, saying, "Would you be uncomfortable if I came back? You forbade my entry with a nonexistent charge, so you would not want me to return. I wish I would just disappear, but because I'm lively and doing fact-checks and legally challenging it, are you uneasy?" He added, "Do you think I'm making a fuss because I can't enter Korea? It's so absurd. At least judge me according to the law based on equity."
[Photo] SNS, video capture
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