After decades of controversy, Steve Yoo says returning to Korea no longer matters

Steve Yoo / Xportsnews

More than two decades after one of South Korea's most infamous celebrity scandals, singer Steve Yoo, better known in Korea as Yoo Seung-jun, says he has finally let go of his long-running fight to return.

The former K-pop star, whose 2002 acquisition of U.S. citizenship sparked a national controversy over military service obligations, said he no longer sees much point in pursuing a return to Korea.

On Thursday, Yoo uploaded a video to his YouTube channel titled "I've done all I can. I'm going to stop now," where he reflected on years of public criticism and legal battles surrounding his entry ban.

"Now, entering Korea doesn't carry much meaning," Yoo said. "I've spoken this much about lies and truth, explained my situation and everything that happened, but it seems my sincerity and my feelings still haven't been properly understood."

Yoo became one of South Korea's biggest pop stars in the late 1990s and early 2000s. However, in 2002, shortly before he was due to begin mandatory military service, he left the country and later obtained U.S. citizenship, effectively exempting himself from conscription.

The move triggered a massive backlash in South Korea, where military service remains a highly sensitive social issue. Authorities subsequently barred him from entering the country, leading to years of legal disputes.

Steve Yoo / Captured from Yoo's YouTube channel

In the video, Yoo expressed frustration that his explanations have failed to change public opinion.

"Even after I appeared on broadcasts and shared everything I was feeling, there are still people who believe I criticized others behind the scenes afterward," he said.

He also argued that rumors and allegations continued to overshadow his attempts to explain his side of the story.

"I explained the circumstances from my perspective and why I made those decisions," Yoo said. "But what came afterward were all kinds of rumors. The things I actually talked about were never properly delivered or reflected. I thought that was the media's fault."

Yoo also pushed back against claims that he has sought reentry into Korea for financial reasons.

"Some people say Steve Yoo wants to return to Korea to avoid taxes. That's completely unrelated," he said. "I pay double taxation."

The singer said much of the public discussion has focused on allegations surrounding military service and various rumors while ignoring his explanations about how he arrived at his controversial decision.

"I even explained how the whole situation began, including the circumstances that led me to publicly say I would serve in the military in the first place," Yoo said. "But people weren't very interested in that. So now I'm okay with it."

Despite winning several court rulings in recent years related to visa applications, Yoo's efforts to return to South Korea have remained mired in legal and administrative disputes.

His case continues to divide public opinion, with critics arguing that allowing his return would undermine the fairness of South Korea's mandatory military service system, while supporters say he has already paid a steep price for a decision made more than 20 years ago.

This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.