Lee Hae-rin is a City Desk reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues, tourism and taekwondo. She is passionate about speaking up for the rights of minorities, including women, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities and animals as well as discovering the latest makgeolli trend in town. Feel free to reach her at lhr@koreatimes.co.kr.
Fans push for Liberation Day pardon to end Steve Yoo’s 23-year exile over draft evasion
Former pop star Steve Yoo speaks on his YouTube channel about how the Korean government has barred him from entering the country for military draft evasion in this file photo. Korea Times file
By Lee Hae-rin
Fans of Steve Yoo, the Korean American pop icon who has lived outside Korea for more than two decades over his evasion of mandatory military service, are urging President Lee Jae Myung to grant a presidential pardon ahead of Korea’s Aug. 15 Liberation Day — a date long associated with high-profile acts of clemency and national reconciliation.
Known in Korea as Yoo Seung-jun, he was one of the country’s biggest pop stars in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He debuted in April 1997 and quickly rose to fame with a string of chart-topping hits, dynamic performances and wholesome image.
However, his career collapsed in 2002, shortly before his scheduled enlistment, when he left for a concert tour and acquired U.S. citizenship. The move exempted him from mandatory military service, sparking public outrage in a country where conscription is a civic duty for men.
The Ministry of Justice swiftly barred him from reentering the country, citing draft evasion. He has been banned from entry ever since, except for a brief return in 2003 to attend his father-in-law’s funeral. Despite two Supreme Court rulings — in 2019 and 2023 — that found visa refusals unlawful, authorities have continued to block him, arguing that allowing his return could undermine trust in the military system.
A former head of the Military Manpower Administration once testified at the National Assembly in 2021 that Yoo is the only individual in history to acquire U.S. citizenship after receiving a military enlistment notice while actively earning income in Korea, constituting a clear violation of conscription laws.
Steve Yoo performs on stage in Seoul in this July 30, 1998 file photo. Korea Times file
In a statement Friday, Yoo’s fan community on internet forum DC Inside stated that the former singer has endured more than 20 years of criticism and restrictions, and should be given "a chance to live anew" in Korean society, urging the president to apply the same spirit of fairness and unity being considered for pardons of politicians and public figures to Yoo.
"We hope that the tolerance and equity displayed in the recent review process for the pardon of politicians will be applied to Yoo Seung-jun as well," they wrote.
"Yoo has endured many criticisms and sanctions over the years. This does not mean he did nothing wrong, rather he has fully borne the social responsibility that comes with it," the statement said.
Yoo’s legal battles have included three separate lawsuits over visa denials. He applied for an overseas Korean visa at the South Korean Consulate General in Los Angeles in 2015 and again in 2022, both of which were rejected.
In recent years, the 48-year-old has maintained a presence online, including far-right YouTube commentary, and has repeatedly appealed for forgiveness. He has claimed that personal circumstances and pressure from his then-agency drove his decision to change citizenship, but many critics remain skeptical.
Presidential amnesties on Liberation Day often cover politicians, business leaders and sometimes ordinary citizens, framed as gestures of national unity. This year’s list — which may include controversial political figures — is expected to be finalized ahead of the holiday.