[Sportschosun reporter Park A-ram] Singer Yoo Seung-jun, who has been barred from entering South Korea over allegations of draft evasion, has released a video cheering for the South Korea national football team.
On the 12th, Yoo posted a short video on his personal channel showing him watching the Republic of Korea vs. Czech Republic match in the FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In the video, he is seen wearing the national team jersey and cheering as Hwang In-beom and Oh Hyeon-gyu scored.
Along with the video, he wrote, "Republic of Korea wins against the Czech Republic! A lot has happened in my life, and there have been many stories. But one thing has never changed. No matter what anyone says, I support the Republic of Korea. I always have, and I always will. Fighting, Korea."
Earlier, in a video released on the 4th, Yoo spoke candidly about his feelings regarding the issue of entering Korea and appeared to have given up hope of returning.
At the time, he said, "At this point, it seems to have little meaning to go into Korea," adding, "I have tried to tell the truth and apologize, but it seems my sincerity was never properly conveyed." He continued, "The background and process behind why I made that choice have been ignored, and only the result remains, leaving me to face criticism."
Meanwhile, Yoo debuted in 1997 and rose to fame with a string of hits including "Scissors," "Nanana," and "Passion." However, he became embroiled in controversy over draft evasion after obtaining U.S. citizenship ahead of his military enlistment in 2002, and the Ministry of Justice later imposed a ban on his entry.
Since then, he has been locked in a legal dispute with the government over the issuance of an Overseas Korean (F-4) visa. Although he won two Supreme Court of Korea rulings, the visa was never issued. An appeal is now under way in a third lawsuit seeking to overturn the refusal to issue the visa.
tokkig@sportschosun.com
