As some fans call for allowing singer Yoo Seung Joon (Steve Yoo), who was banned from entering South Korea after acquiring U.S. citizenship to avoid mandatory military service, to return to the country, a statement written a decade ago by President Lee Jae Myung has resurfaced.
In 2015, while serving as mayor of Seongnam, Lee posted a message titled 'A man who abandoned his homeland to evade the duty of a citizen. What could he possibly say now?' on his personal account.
Addressing Yoo directly, Lee wrote, “There are young men in Korea who live far more difficult lives than you, serving in the military, and even dying from gun accidents in this harsh country called the Republic of Korea. Do you wish to return now? Do you need more money from the pockets of Koreans? Or have you suddenly been overcome with patriotism?”
Lee criticized Yoo as someone who “enjoyed every benefit and privilege as a Korean citizen, singing in the Korean language, but when it came time to fulfill the duty of the people, abandoned Korea to take the path of a foreigner.” He went on to question, “Why should we grant special privileges again to someone who is a foreigner, simply because he looks like a Korean, and inflict a sense of deprivation on others?”
He added, “The sense of deprivation and resentment is already more than enough with high-ranking officials in this country who evade military service in all sorts of ways and still flaunt their positions. Please, remain faithful to your current country and forget the Republic of Korea that you betrayed and abandoned.”
Lee’s old remarks have drawn renewed attention as Yoo’s fans recently appealed for his return ahead of the Liberation Day special pardons. On August 9, members of the Yoo Seung Joon Gallery wrote, “Yoo has endured years of criticism and restrictions. This does not mean he did nothing wrong, but he has shouldered sufficient social responsibility for it,” urging the government to lift his entry ban.
Yoo Seung Joon became embroiled in controversy in 2002 when, just before his enlistment, he obtained U.S. citizenship to avoid military service. He has been barred from entering South Korea for the past 13 years.
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