Highest court orders retrial of entry ban on Korean-American singer

By Lim Chang-won Posted : July 11, 2019, 14:31 Updated : July 11, 2019, 14:31

[An image captured from Steve Yoo's SNS]


SEOUL -- South Korea's highest court ordered the retrial of an administrative suit filed by Steve Yoo, a Korean-born American singer, against an entry ban which was imposed after he acquired U.S. citizenship while working as a popular artist at his birthplace.

If the singer confirms his victory in the appeals court, the government should judge again whether to issue a visa for the 42-year-old known as his Korean name Yoo Seung-jun, who was highly popular and one of the best-selling artists in South Korea in the late 1990s.

Yoo was banned from entering South Korea when he acquired US citizenship in 2002. His act was seen as improper amid criticism that his change of nationality was aimed at evading military conscription.

In 2016, Yoo launched a legal battle after the South Korean consulate in Los Angeles refused to issue a visa. He insisted that he should be given a visa for Koreans residing overseas because he secured US citizenship just at the request of his family, not to evade military service.

Lower courts have ruled against Yoo, but the Supreme Court asked the Seoul High Court to re-examine the case, saying the consulate in Los Angeles had violated administrative procedures by refusing to issue a visa "just because there was an entry ban decision 13 years and 7 months ago."

Just because the consulate general followed the justice minister's decision to ban Yoo's entry, the legality of visa refusal cannot be justified, the highest court said in its ruling on Thursday.

Yoo's family moved to the United States when he was 13. While staying in South Korea, he had repeatedly stated that he would fulfill his military service. But in 2002, just before he was to be drafted, he became a naturalized US citizen. The Seoul government considered it an act of desertion and banned him from entering South Korea.

In 2008, Yoo signed a 15-year contract with Jackie Chan's entertainment management company to become an actor. He has since attempted to establish a name for himself in mainland China while continuing his singing and acting career.

All able-bodied South Korean men aged 18-35 are required to serve in the military for about two years because the Korean peninsula is still technically at war as the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice with no peace treaty signed between the two Koreas. The military relies heavily on a compulsory service system. Exemptions are rare, with some Olympic gold medalists are not required to serve.
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