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Ex-Yankees baseball player loses suit against gov't order to turn in passport

Published: 08 May. 2025, 16:52

Park Hyo-joon arrives at Incheon International Airport in Incheon on Oct. 6, 2021. [YONHAP]

A Seoul appellate court on Thursday denied an attempt by baseball player Park Hyo-joon, known to MLB fans as Hoy Park, to overturn the Korean government’s order to return his passport, following accusations that he violated the Military Service Act.

The Seoul High Court’s Administrative Division dismissed Park’s appeal and upheld the lower court ruling issued in September 2023.

Park, 29, signed with the New York Yankees in July 2014 while in his final year at Yatap High School.

He made his MLB debut with the Yankees in July 2021.

Park qualified as a person over age 25 who had not yet been called to service as a supplementary or alternative serviceman under the Military Service Act.

He received permission to stay overseas through March 2023 in order to continue his baseball career in the United States.

When that overseas travel permit expired, the Military Manpower Administration reported Park to prosecutors for violating military service regulations. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a notice ordering him to return his passport in April 2023.

Park filed a lawsuit in May 2023, challenging the order.

The court found that the baseball player bore some responsibility for the situation in its initial ruling.

"The plaintiff partly brought about the circumstances that led to this case,” the court said. “The public interest in preserving fairness and equity in military service cannot be deemed less significant than the disadvantage the plaintiff may suffer.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]