Steve Yoo’s chances of entering Korea just got a major boost.
On August 28, Seoul Administrative Court’s 5th Division ruled in Yoo Seung Jun’s favor in his lawsuit against the Minister of Justice to overturn his visa denial.
The court overturned the visa refusal but dismissed Yoo’s suit against the LA Consulate General, which sought to “confirm the nonexistence of the entry ban.”
The court said verifying the entry ban’s validity was “not within the court’s jurisdiction.”
Yoo Seung Jun sparked controversy for evading mandatory military service by acquiring U.S. citizenship, leading to a ban on his entry to Korea since 2022.
In August 2015, Yoo applied for an Overseas Korean (F-4) visa at the LA Consulate upon turning 38.
Though the Overseas Korean Act allows former citizens who lost nationality due to military evasion to regain residency status at 38, the consulate refused his visa.
He filed a lawsuit, won after a retrial, but the consulate still denied the visa over concerns that “evading military service could harm national interests.”
Yoo then launched a second lawsuit in 2020 and won again in November 2023.
Yet, the LA Consulate rejected him once more in June this year. Yoo responded with a third lawsuit, winning again this August.
This latest court ruling increases his chances of re-entry, but the Ministry of Justice may still appeal.
All eyes are on how this 20-year legal battle will unfold.
“Steve Yoo Speaks Out Regarding Pardon To Lift Entry Ban To Korea” — Koreaboo
