Singer Yoo Seung Joon (Steve Yoo) has initiated his third administrative lawsuit seeking permission to enter South Korea. The first hearing for the case will be held today (March 20).

On the afternoon of March 20, the Seoul Administrative Court's Administrative Division 5 (Presiding Judge Kim Soon Yeol) will hold the first hearing for Yoo Seung Joon’s lawsuit against the Los Angeles Consulate and the Ministry of Justice. Yoo is seeking confirmation of the non-existence of the entry ban decision and the cancellation of the visa issuance refusal.

Yoo Seung Joon has been unable to enter South Korea for 23 years due to allegations of draft evasion. In 2002, ahead of his mandatory military enlistment, Yoo left the country for an overseas performance and subsequently acquired U.S. citizenship, thereby exempting himself from military service. Following this, the South Korean government imposed an entry ban under the Immigration Control Act in February of that year, preventing Yoo from returning to South Korea.

In October 2015, Yoo applied for an Overseas Korean (F-4) visa at the Los Angeles Consulate, but his application was denied. Yoo then filed a lawsuit and secured two final victories at the Supreme Court.

However, in June of last year, the consulate once again refused to issue a visa to Yoo. In response, Yoo filed a third lawsuit in September of last year, seeking to overturn the visa refusal and confirm the non-existence of the entry ban decision imposed by the Ministry of Justice.

The outcome of this case could have significant implications for Yoo’s future attempts to enter South Korea.

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