Singer Yoo Seung-jun (Steve Seung-jun Yoo, 48) had the first hearing for his third administrative lawsuit demanding the issuance of a domestic entry visa and the invalidation of the entry ban on the 20th. Yoo's side argued that the entry ban itself, on which the visa issuance refusal was based, is invalid.
According to a report by Newsis, the 5th Administrative Division of the Seoul Administrative Court (Director General Lee Jeong-won) held the first hearing regarding the lawsuit filed by Yoo Seung-jun against the Ministry of Justice and the Consulate General in Los Angeles regarding the non-existence of the entry ban decision and the cancellation of the visa issuance refusal.
Previously, Yoo Seung-jun had filed two administrative lawsuits against the LA Consulate, but this is the first lawsuit filed against the Ministry of Justice. Yoo's attorney argued that the entry ban decision made by the Ministry of Justice on February 1, 2002, is non-existent, and, in a preliminary argument, that the entry ban decision is invalid and the failure to lift it is illegal.
They further claimed that, since there have already been Supreme Court rulings from the previous two administrative lawsuits, the LA Consulate must lawfully issue the visa, but is refusing to do so due to the invalid entry ban decision from the Ministry of Justice.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Justice holds the position that the need for an entry ban on Yoo Seung-jun still exists as it could impact the public interest of South Korea. The Ministry's representative expressed concerns over the circumstances under which Yoo's side obtained the 'guidelines for processing entry restrictions' submitted that day.
The Ministry of Justice stated, 'If this information is made known to foreigners, there will be an increase in attempts to enter based on this, which could significantly disrupt immigration affairs,' adding that, 'If it is made public to outsiders, it could be very understandable in terms of social order and public safety. This alone is quite perplexing regarding what actions the plaintiff is taking.'
Additionally, the first hearing regarding the lawsuit filed by Yoo Seung-jun against the LA Consulate for the cancellation of the visa issuance refusal was held consecutively.
Earlier, Yoo Seung-jun received a notice for compulsory public service, but he left for an overseas performance in January 2002, after which he obtained U.S. citizenship, leading to controversy over military service evasion. He later attempted to enter the country with a Overseas Korean (F-4) visa, but when the LA Consulate rejected his visa issuance, he filed a lawsuit for the visa issuance.
At that time, Yoo lost in both the first and second trials, but the Supreme Court overturned that ruling and remanded the case. The remand trial retried the case according to the Supreme Court's rationale for overturning the original ruling, resulting in a victory for Yoo's side. Although a second appeal was filed, the Supreme Court dismissed it due to a lack of grounds for review, confirming this ruling.
Yoo Seung-jun then applied for a second visa issuance to the LA Consulate based on this, but when the LA Consulate again denied the visa issuance, he filed a second lawsuit.
In the second lawsuit, the court ruled in favor of Yoo Seung-jun. While the first trial ruled against him, the second trial pointed out issues with the legal provisions applied by the Consulate General in denying Yoo's visa issuance, ruling in favor of Yoo. This ruling was later confirmed by the Supreme Court.
However, the LA Consulate again denied the visa issuance in June last year, and Yoo Seung-jun initiated the third legal battle against the government in September of the same year by filing lawsuits for the cancellation of the denial decision and the recognition of the non-existence of the entry ban decision. The court plans to conclude the hearings for the two administrative lawsuits on May 8.
Meanwhile, on the 18th, Yoo Seung-jun revealed his longing for Korea by posting a video on his social media account in which he stated, 'On December 7, 1989, when I was 13 years old (1st year of middle school). This was where I attended Oju Middle School in Songpa-gu until a day before I immigrated to the United States. It's still the same.'
The published video contained images of the walls, playground, and school gate of a school located in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Yoo Seung-jun expressed gratitude to a fan, saying, 'One of my fans filmed the middle school I attended until I immigrated to the U.S. and sent it to me. Thank you,' and also shared a video depicting the scenery of Munjeong Elementary School, which he attended since its opening.