Singer Yoo Seung-jun's Visa Battle Drags on

Published on 2019/07/11 | Source

A lengthy legal battle surrounding Korean-American singer Yoo Seung-jun, also known as Steve Yoo, shows no sign of ending.

The Supreme Court on Thursday sent the case back to a lower court, overturning rulings which banned him from Korea because he took U.S. citizenship to dodge mandatory military service here.

But the top court said it is "illegal not to issue a visa" to a foreign national, despite a decision by the Justice Ministry to ban him.

Yoo, who was popular in the late 1990s, repeatedly promised to carry out his military duty here but in January 2002 effectively evaded the obligation last minute by choosing to take U.S. citizenship.

His Korean passport was forfeited and the Justice Ministry subsequently banned him from entering Korea under the relevant laws which allow it to slap an entry ban to those who are a threat to the national interest and public safety.

He filed a lawsuit against the Korean government after a visa application was rejected in 2015. The court ruled in favor of the government saying that allowing Yoo to enter Korea could damage "public morals", especially young men who serve in the military, and encourage draft dodgers.