Fans push for Liberation Day pardon to end Steve Yoo’s 23-year exile over draft evasion

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 SupremeWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times