Song Minho, a former member of K-pop group WINNER, has admitted his guilt in a trial for violating the Military Service Act, now facing a potential prison sentence.
The Seoul Western District Court, Criminal Division 10 Single Judge, held the first public trial on April 21st for Song Minho and his service supervisor, Mr. A, concerning charges of violating the Military Service Act. Previously, on December 30, 2025, the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office, Criminal Division 1 (Chief Prosecutor Won Shin-hye), indicted both individuals without detention on these charges.
During the proceedings, the prosecution sought a sentence of one year and six months in prison for Song Minho, who fully admitted to all charges against him.
Attending the court in a black suit, Song Minho directly confirmed his full admission to the prosecution’s allegations. In contrast, Mr. A denied the charges, claiming, “I never conspired with Song Minho.” The prosecution stated that Song Minho, while serving as a social service agent, failed to report for duty regularly and was absent from his workplace for 102 days.
In his final statement, Song Minho said, “I want to sincerely apologize to the judge and everyone present here today. As a young man of South Korea, I failed to diligently fulfill my mandatory national defense duty until the end. I suffer from bipolar disorder and panic disorder, but I am well aware that these conditions should never be an excuse or a justification. As someone who receives much love from many people, I feel truly sorry to show such a shameful side of myself, failing to set an example. Only deep regret remains for my choices.”
He continued, “Currently, I am diligently receiving treatment. I hope to recover my health as soon as possible, and if I am given another opportunity for re-service, I wish to complete it faithfully until the end. I want to apologize once again.”
Song Minho’s lawyer stated, “Song Minho admits all charges and is spending time reflecting on his failure to faithfully fulfill his sacred military service duty as a young man of the Republic of Korea. However, we humbly ask for deep consideration of special circumstances when determining the sentence.”
The lawyer further explained, “At the time of the offense, Song Minho was suffering from severe mental distress due to extreme bipolar disorder, panic attacks, and physical pain, including a cervical disc rupture, making it incredibly difficult for him to perform normal duties. As a result, he made a mistaken judgment, forgetting the strict standards expected of a citizen. However, during the investigation, Song Minho voluntarily submitted evidence that could be unfavorable to him and cooperated fully with all truths, never evading the weight of his past actions. We earnestly ask the court to show the maximum leniency possible, allowing him to respond appropriately to the call of the nation once more and be reborn as a diligent member of society.”
According to the prosecution, Song Minho served as a social service agent at a facility in Mapo-gu, Seoul, from March 2023 to December 2024. He is accused of leaving his duty station without legitimate reason and neglecting his attendance and work responsibilities. Mr. A is accused of failing to properly supervise Song Minho despite being aware of his negligent service.
After being classified as a Level 4 supplementary service member in his conscription physical examination, Song Minho began fulfilling his military duty as a social service agent at the Mapo Facilities Management Corporation in March 2023. From March 2024, he transferred his duty station to the Mapo Residents’ Welfare Facility. However, suspicions of negligent service arose shortly before his discharge. Frequent medical leaves and insincere attendance became problematic. Song Minho has reportedly been receiving treatment for panic disorder and bipolar disorder.
Song Minho, who was discharged from his service on December 23, 2024, faced allegations of neglecting his duties as a social service agent, including failing to report to work properly. The Mapo Police Station in Seoul initiated an investigation, summoning Song Minho on January 23, 2025, for alleged violations of the Military Service Act. At the time, Song Minho explained the facts regarding the accusations 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 the negligent service and unauthorized absence from his workplace.
Specifically, according to the indictment submitted by the prosecution, Song Minho was unlawfully absent for a total of 102 days while serving as a social service agent at the Mapo-gu Facilities Management Corporation and Residents’ Welfare Facility, thus deserting his service without legitimate reason. The service period for a social service agent is one year and nine months, meaning approximately 430 working days, excluding weekends and public holidays. Song Minho was unlawfully absent for roughly a quarter of this period. In July 2024 alone, he was absent for 19 days, working only 4 days out of 23 scheduled.
Furthermore, the prosecution believes that supervisor Mr. A was complicit in Song Minho’s unauthorized absences. It is reported that Mr. A would permit Song Minho’s absence if he cited reasons such as oversleeping or fatigue, and then allegedly created false documents to make it appear as if Song Minho had reported for duty normally. The indictment specifies that in May 2023, Mr. A informed Song Minho in advance that he would not be coming to work the next day due to training, saying, “I have training tomorrow, so let’s meet on May 31st.” Consequently, Song Minho arbitrarily did not report for duty, and Mr. A subsequently filled out daily service records as if Song Minho had been present.
In related news, Song Minho recently garnered attention after being spotted at the VIP premiere of the movie ‘Method Acting’ held at Megabox COEX in Seoul. Online rumors circulated that he attended the event with his face covered by a mask and hat. Given that past photos of Song Minho and Lee Donghwi have been shared on online communities, and Lee Donghwi himself previously confirmed their friendship on social media, asking, “Thanks for the gift as soon as I arrived in Korea. Minho, this is cool, right?”, questions arose about whether Lee Donghwi had invited Song Minho to the premiere.
However, in an interview with Star News regarding the release of ‘Method Acting,’ actor Lee Donghwi clarified, “I did not invite Song Minho.” He added, “I didn’t contact him; I only heard that he attended the event on site.”
