Singer Yoo Seung Joon Banned From Entering Korea
Korean American popstar Yoo Seung Joon is now officially banned from entering his homeland of South Korea. The singer lost the final legal battle that reportedly stretched on for more than a decade. According to allkpop, Judge Kim of Seoul's Super Court made the final decision Thursday to dismiss his appeal and consequently restrict him from ever setting foot to Korea again.
The popstar used to be one of the biggest singers in the country during the 90s until he became the first top celebrity to dodge the Korean men's mandatory military service. Yoo Seung Joon renounced his Korean nationality and applied for the U.S. citizenship in January 2002 in order to avoid getting drafted. What followed shortly afterwards was his exile and the end of his successful career in South Korea.
The singer lost the first trial Sep. 30, 2016 as the judge determined that he used his American citizenship to evade the military enlistment. The court ruled that approving his visa will set a negative precedent among Korean men. Therefore, they maintained that their decision to reject his visa was "not unjust." "If Mr. Yoo were to enter and resume his entertainment activities, much of the military personnel here would be deeply affected by his actions," said the judge then.
The singer filed an appeal against the lower court's decision as a result. His lawyers argued that the lower court made the ruling based on a 2002 standards. They added that Yoo Seung Joon has been singled out among the 17,229 Korean men who tried to dodge the military enlistment in the past five years. "It's been 14 years, so we want to hear the legal explanation for why the prohibition of entry must continue, and why the prohibition is indefinite...," AllKpop quoted the Yoo Seung Joon's attorney as saying.
Big Bang's T.O.P. and JYJ's Junsu were the latest to enlist in the military this year. 2PM's Taecyeon and Jun.K are preparing to follow suit as they set out for their last group concert. Actor Yoo Ah In's diagnosis of bone tumor placed his military enlistment on hold while Hallyu star Lee Min Ho claimed he still doesn't have an enlistment date. Meanwhile, fans can no longer wait for the military discharge of three Super Junior members this year.