Steve Yoo’s return met with shrugs

Singer Yoo Seung-jun, also known as Steve Yoo, is set to make a comeback after an 11-year hiatus. But his return has been met with a mixed response from the public.

On Wednesday, the singer announced his new song, “Another Day.” According to local news outlet TV Report, all album sales will be donated to a charity.

The song, which will be released on Thursday, comes 11 years after his album “Rebirth of YSJ.”

Yoo has been a controversial figure ever since he gained U.S. citizenship to evade his military service in 2002. Yoo, a popular artist at the time, was supposed to begin his mandatory military service in 2001, but he renounced his Korean citizenship and flew to the United States.

After public outcry, the Korean government banned the singer from entering Korea ever again.

News articles announcing the singer’s plan to release new music featured comments like, “A person who has evaded military service does not deserve to live in Korea,” and “Let’s forgive him now because there are many others who have evaded their military service.”

In 2015, he appealed to Korea to have his entry ban lifted, but he lost in his final appeal in 2017 and is not allowed to enter the country.

Yoo currently lives in China, where he is pursuing a career as an actor and singer.

By Yeo Ye-rim