Yoo Seung-jun Appears on New Album After 23 Years, Sparking Fierce Debate

Singer Yoo Seung-jun, also known as Steve Yoo, has resurfaced in the South Korean music scene after 23 years by featuring on rapper JUSTHIS's new album.

JUSTHIS released his second full-length album, 'LIT,' on the 20th. Yoo's voice appears at the end of the final track, 'HOME HOME.' A making-of video released on YouTube shows Yoo in the recording studio, with the work title 'HOME HOME - YSJ - Acapella' clearly displayed, confirming his involvement.

This marks Yoo's first participation in a new Korean music release in about seven years, since his own album 'Another Day' in 2019. However, his involvement is not being received as a simple 'musical comeback.' Given Yoo's 2002 military service evasion controversy and subsequent entry ban, which has kept him out of Korea for over two decades, his feature has ignited a heated debate.

Some netizens strongly criticized JUSTHIS and Yoo, arguing that featuring a singer who evaded military service is inappropriate. While some believe art should be viewed separately from the artist, the critical perspective that morality and art cannot be separated seems to be dominant.

Currently, 'HOME HOME' has garnered over 50,000 views on YouTube, with the controversy surrounding the feature overshadowing the music itself. Attention is now focused on what kind of impact this debate will have on the hip-hop scene and the public.

Korean netizens are actively debating, with comments like, "No matter what, featuring Steve Yoo crosses the line," and "While some say art and personal character should be separate, this is a bit much." There are also critical views directed at JUSTHIS, questioning if this was an attempt at attention-grabbing.