Steve Yoo, also known as Yoo Seung-jun, greets Korean fans during a surprise appearance at Tae Jin-ah’s concert in the United States. Captured from YouTube
Steve Yoo, the former Korean singer also known as Yoo Seung-jun, made a surprise appearance at Tae Jin-ah’s concert in the United States, growing emotional as he greeted cheering fans.
Yoo uploaded a video to his YouTube channel Thursday showing him at the venue of veteran Korean singer Tae Jin-ah’s solo concert, held last April at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino in California.
In the video, Tae acknowledges Yoo in the audience and recalls encouraging him early in his career: “When he first made his debut, I told him, ‘You’re going to make it big, so never give up and keep going.’” Yoo rose from his seat as fans around him burst into applause and cheers, holding back tears as he bowed in gratitude.
He then moved through the nearby seats, shaking hands with audience members. One elderly concertgoer told him, “I left Korea 50 years ago, and seeing you breaks my heart. You still can’t go back to Korea?” The comment brought Yoo to tears again.
In the description accompanying the video, Yoo reflected on how much the reunion with Tae Jin-ah meant to him.
“It was only a brief moment, but the warm encouragement and kindness shown by the veteran singer will stay with me for a long time,” he wrote. “I’m also grateful to the elders who offered me encouragement and support.”
Yoo debuted in 1997 with “Scissors” and became one of Korea’s most popular singers. But in January 2002, he abruptly left for the United States, gave up his Korean citizenship and became a U.S. citizen, which exempted him from mandatory military service. In February that year, the Korean government imposed an entry ban on him under the Immigration Act.
In 2015, Yoo applied for an F-4 visa for overseas Koreans through the Korean Consulate General in Los Angeles, but the application was denied. He challenged the decision in court and won twice, only for the consulate to refuse the visa again and appeal the ruling.
Yoo has also taken part in music projects in recent years, including contributing to “Home Home,” a track from rapper JUSTHIS’ album Lit.
Source: Korea Times News
