Yoo Seung Joon’s third visa lawsuit appeal hearing set for July

20 May 2026, 03:28 by Minsoo-Kim · allkpop

Yoo Seung Joon’s long-running legal battle over a visa allowing him to enter South Korea will continue as the appeal hearing for his third administrative lawsuit is set to begin in July.

According to legal sources on May 20 KST, the Seoul High Court will hold the first hearing on July 3 for Yoo’s appeal case against the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Los Angeles regarding the refusal to issue him a visa.

The appeal comes about 10 months after the first trial court ruled in Yoo’s favor on Aug. 28 last year.

Yoo debuted as a singer in 1997 and became one of Korea’s top stars. However, controversy erupted in 2002 after he left Korea for an overseas schedule and later obtained U.S. citizenship, exempting him from mandatory military service despite previously expressing intentions to enlist.

Following the backlash, the Ministry of Justice barred his entry under Article 11 of the Immigration Control Act, which allows the government to deny entry to foreigners deemed harmful to national interests or public safety.

In August 2015, after turning 38, Yoo applied for an overseas Korean (F-4) visa through the Korean consulate in Los Angeles. At the time, the Overseas Koreans Act allowed individuals who had lost Korean nationality for military service-related reasons to apply for the visa after age 38.

The consulate denied the request in September 2015, leading Yoo to file his first lawsuit. Although he ultimately won at the Supreme Court of Korea, the consulate again rejected his visa application, arguing that his avoidance of military service could harm national interests.

Yoo filed a second administrative lawsuit in October 2020 and secured another Supreme Court victory in November 2023. Nevertheless, the Los Angeles consulate once again denied his visa application in June 2024, prompting him to launch a third lawsuit in September of that year.

In last year’s first ruling for the third case, the court stated that the public interest gained from denying the visa did not outweigh the excessive disadvantages imposed on Yoo, concluding that the refusal represented an abuse of administrative discretion and violated the principle of proportionality.

Share this article SHARE