WINNER member Song Mino, indicted on charges of violating the Military Service Act, is expected to testify as a witness in the trial related to his former manager, Mr. A, concerning their alleged conspiracy during Song Mino’s social service duty.
According to StarNews on the 8th, Song Mino is scheduled to appear as a witness and be questioned at the third public trial for Mr. A’s Military Service Act violation charges, which will be held on the 14th under the sole judge of Criminal Division 10 at the Seoul Western District Court.
In the preceding second public trial, Mr. A’s lawyer stated, “Mr. A does not deny that there were erroneous methods in the process of handling some attendance records,” but argued, “There was no prior conspiracy or division of roles to falsely record commute times.”
Subsequently, Mr. A’s side requested Song Mino as a witness, and the court indicated it would consider adopting the request once the relevant application was submitted. It was confirmed that Mr. A’s side submitted the witness application on the 7th.
Currently, the prosecution believes that manager Mr. A was also involved in Song Mino’s unauthorized absences from duty. According to investigations, if Song Mino cited reasons like oversleeping or fatigue for not coming to work, Mr. A allegedly approved it and falsified documents to make it appear as if Song Mino had worked normally.
The prosecution’s indictment states that in May 2023, Mr. A informed Song Mino in advance that he would not be coming to work due to training, saying, “I have training tomorrow, so let’s meet on May 31st.” Consequently, Song Mino arbitrarily did not report for duty, and Mr. A subsequently filled out the daily service log as if Song Mino had attended work.
On December 30th last year, Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office (Chief Prosecutor Won Shin-hye) indicted both individuals without detention on charges of violating the Military Service Act. According to the prosecution, Song Mino worked as a social service worker at a facility in Mapo-gu, Seoul, from March 2023 to December 2024, but is accused of abandoning his workplace without justifiable reason and neglecting his duties and attendance. Mr. A is accused of neglecting his supervisory duties despite knowing about Song Mino’s dereliction of duty.
The court held the first public trial for both individuals on April 21st, and the prosecution sought a sentence of 1 year and 6 months in prison for Song Mino, who admitted to all charges.
In his final statement, Song Mino said, “I wish to offer my sincerest apologies to the judge and everyone present here today. As a young man of the Republic of Korea, I failed to diligently fulfill my national defense duty until the end. I suffer from bipolar disorder and panic disorder, but I am well aware that these conditions can never be an excuse or justification. As someone who receives love from many people, I feel truly sorry and ashamed to show such a lacking example. Only great regret remains regarding my choices.”
He continued, “I am currently undergoing diligent treatment. I wish to recover my health as soon as possible and, if given the opportunity to serve again, complete it faithfully until the end.” He added, “I want to apologize once again.”
Meanwhile, Song Mino, who was classified as a Level 4 supplementary service member in his conscription physical examination, fulfilled his military duty as a social service worker at the Mapo Facilities Management Corporation from March 2023. From March 2024, he transferred to the Mapo Residents’ Convenience Facility.
However, allegations of dereliction of duty surfaced just before his release from service. Frequent sick leaves and unsatisfactory attendance were cited as issues. Song Mino has reportedly been receiving treatment for panic disorder and bipolar disorder during this period.
Song Mino, who was released from service on December 23, 2024, faced suspicions of neglecting his duties, including improper attendance, during his time as a social service worker. Consequently, the Mapo Police Station in Seoul initiated an investigation, summoning Song Mino on January 23rd last year on charges of violating the Military Service Act.
At the time, Song Mino explained the facts regarding the allegations against him, stating that he “worked according to regulations” and that there were “no issues with his service.” However, after three rounds of questioning, it was revealed that he largely admitted to dereliction of duty and unauthorized absence from his workplace.
Specifically, according to the indictment filed by the prosecution, Song Mino, while serving as a social service worker at the Mapo District Facilities Management Corporation and Residents’ Convenience Facility, was absent without authorization for a total of 102 days, abandoning his duty without justifiable reason. The service period for a social service worker is 1 year and 9 months, with approximately 430 working days excluding weekends and holidays. Song Mino was thus absent without authorization for roughly a quarter of his total service period. Notably, in July 2024, he was absent for 19 days, working only 4 days out of 23 scheduled.
