K-pop singer to take his entry ban to appellate court

SEOUL, Oct. 17 (Yonhap) — A South Korean-born U.S. K-pop star has taken his entry ban case to the Seoul appellate court, seeking to regain his right to freely visit his country of origin, his lawyer said Monday.

The legal representative of Steve Yoo, more widely known as his Korean name Yoo Seung-joon here, told Yonhap News Agency on the phone, “We’ve found some of the district court’s ruling refutable, which will be fought again in the appellate court.”

The undated file photo shows South Korean-born U.S. K-pop star Steve Yoo, more widely known as his Korean name Yoo Seung-joon here.

The 39-year-old singer had enjoyed immense popularity among K-pop fans in the 1990s and early 2000s, until 2002, when he discarded his Korean citizenship in exchange for U.S. citizenship.

After the announcement, Koreans criticized the singer for seeking backdoor measures to evade his compulsory military service while keeping the privileges and fame extended by his people. Ultimately, the South Korean immigration office at the Justice Ministry blacklisted Yoo and forbade his entry into Korean territory.

Yoo tried multiple times, unsuccessfully, to lift the entry ban.

In October 2015, Yoo turned to legal actions against the South Korean Consul-General to Los Angeles, to fight his case in the Seoul Administrative Court.

However, the court ruled last month against the singer, concluding that the consulate’s refusal to issue Yoo a South Korean visa was legal.