'Military service evader' Steve Yoo tells nephew preparing to enlist in the Marine Corps, "I’m really proud of you"

[Financial News]   Singer Steve Yoo (49; U.S. name: Steve Sueng Jun Yoo), who has been unable to set foot in South Korea for more than 20 years amid controversy over evading mandatory military service, is drawing attention after sending a message of support to his nephew, who is preparing to enlist in the Marine Corps.
On the 29th of last month, Yoo posted a video and photos taken with his family on Instagram and told his nephew, "You’re getting ready to enlist in the Republic of Korea Marine Corps (ROKMC). I’m really proud of you."
He added, "I’ll pray that you do well and return safely. Uncle Steve."
Meanwhile, Yoo made his debut in 1997 and gained widespread popularity as a singer in South Korea.
Although he promised on television that he would enlist, he left the country in 2002, shortly before his enlistment, saying he was traveling abroad for an overseas performance. He subsequently obtained U.S. citizenship and avoided his mandatory military-service obligation.
As public criticism of Yoo intensified, the Ministry of Justice restricted his entry into South Korea.
In 2015, Yoo applied to the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Los Angeles for a visa under overseas Korean (F-4) status in an effort to return to South Korea, but the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Los Angeles denied his visa application.
Yoo then challenged the decision in a legal battle that went all the way to the Supreme Court of Korea. Although he won three lawsuits concerning visa issuance, he still has not been able to set foot in South Korea.
[email protected] Kim Su-yeon Reporter