Yoo Seung-jun Wins Third Visa Lawsuit Appeal, Possibility of Return to Korea Heightened

Singer Yoo Seung-jun (Steve Yoo) has won the appeal in his third lawsuit seeking the cancellation of a visa denial.

The Seoul Administrative Court's Administrative Division 5 (Presiding Judge Kim Seong-su) ruled in favor of Yoo on the 18th in the lawsuit filed against the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Los Angeles (LA), overturning the initial ruling.

The court found that Yoo's words and actions were unlikely to harm the interests of the Republic of Korea, such as national security, maintaining public order, or foreign relations. Furthermore, it was determined that the harm Yoo would suffer from being denied entry outweighed the public interest, thus constituting a violation of the principle of proportionality.

The court added that even if Yoo were allowed to enter and reside in South Korea, his presence or activities would not pose a risk to the country's detriment or safety, considering the mature level of public consciousness. Consequently, the visa denial was deemed unlawful and ordered to be revoked.

However, the court emphasized that this ruling does not signify that Yoo's past actions were appropriate.

Yoo was banned from entering South Korea in 2002 after renouncing his Korean nationality and acquiring U.S. citizenship to evade mandatory military service. He has since attempted to obtain a visa multiple times, but his applications were consistently rejected.

This appeal victory has reopened the possibility of Yoo's return to his homeland, but the Consulate General is expected to appeal further, meaning the final decision will likely be made by the Supreme Court.

Yoo Seung-jun renounced his Korean citizenship and obtained U.S. citizenship in 2002 to avoid mandatory military service, leading to his entry ban. Since 2015, he has been engaged in legal battles with the Consulate General for visa issuance. This latest ruling could be a significant step towards resuming his activities in Korea.