Singer Yu Seung-jun (Steve Yoo) said of the military service controversy that has continued for more than 20 years and the restriction on entering Korea, "Right now, going to Korea doesn't mean much." The remark came ahead of the appellate hearing in his third administrative lawsuit over the refusal to issue an overseas Korean visa.
On the 4th, Yu posted a video titled "I've done what I can. I'm going to stop now" on his YouTube channel and shared his affection for Korea and his feelings over the entry issue. In the video, he said, "Korea is where I was born, my spiritual home, and like a mother," adding, "When you live abroad for a long time, you miss Korea even more." He continued, "I didn't go to settle in the United States. I immigrated to the United States in 1989 at age 13, following my father," and said, "It wasn't easy to adapt to a new environment."
Yu also said the first tattoo he got on his arm before debuting as a singer read "Korean Pride." He said, "That's how strong my pride and affection for Korea were," adding, "The reason I wanted to succeed in Korea was because my roots were in Korea."
However, on the issue of entering Korea, he struck a tone close to resignation. He said, "I've talked about the truth, I've apologized, and I've explained why I had no choice but to make that decision, but it seems my sincerity wasn't conveyed properly." He said, "No matter how much I explained and confessed, in the end only stories like the military issue or the cursing controversy remained," adding, "The process and background of why I made that choice didn't draw attention, and in the end only criticism was left." He added, "Now I've largely let go of those parts."
Yu debuted as a singer in Korea in 1997 and gained popularity with "Scissors" and "Na Na Na." But in 2002, as his military enlistment approached, he obtained U.S. citizenship, triggering a controversy over evading military service, and his entry into Korea was subsequently restricted.
In 2015, Yu applied for a visa at the Consulate General in Los Angeles (LA) with overseas Korean (F-4) status but was denied. He then filed an administrative lawsuit seeking to overturn the refusal and won a final victory at the Supreme Court. Even so, the LA Consulate General again refused to issue the visa.
Yu filed a second lawsuit in Oct. 2020 and again won a final victory at the Supreme Court in Nov. 2023. The LA Consulate General again refused to issue the visa in Jun. 2024, and Yu filed a third administrative lawsuit in Sep. of the same year.
On Aug. 28 last year, the Seoul Administrative Court ruled for Yu in the first trial of the third lawsuit. With the LA Consulate General appealing, the case moved to the second instance, and the first appellate hearing is scheduled for Jul. 3 at the Seoul High Court.