WINNER’s Song Mino Faces Court Over Alleged Military Service Negligence, Admits Charges
Former WINNER member Song Mino has admitted to the charges of violating the Military Service Act.
The Seoul Western District Court’s Criminal Division 10 single judge presided over the initial public hearing on April 21 for Song Mino and his service manager, referred to as ‘Mr. A,’ regarding charges of violating the Military Service Act. The Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office, Criminal Division 1 (Chief Prosecutor Won Shin-hye), had previously indicted both individuals without detention on December 30, 2025, for alleged violations of military service regulations.
During the hearing, Song Mino personally affirmed that he admitted to all the facts presented in the prosecution’s indictment. Conversely, Mr. A denied the charges, stating, “I never conspired with Song Mino.”
Prosecutors allege that Song Mino, while serving as a public service worker, failed to report for duty regularly and was absent from his designated workplace for a total of 102 days.
According to the prosecution, from March 2023 to December 2024, Song Mino was assigned as a public service worker at a facility in Mapo-gu, Seoul. He is charged with unlawfully leaving his workplace and neglecting his attendance and duties without valid reasons. Mr. A faces charges of supervisory negligence, having allegedly failed to properly oversee Song Mino’s service despite being aware of his unsatisfactory conduct.
After being classified as a Grade 4 supplementary service member in his conscription physical examination, Song Mino commenced his public service duties at the Mapo Facilities Management Corporation in March 2023. In March 2024, he was reassigned to the Mapo Residents’ Convenience Facility. However, concerns regarding negligent service, including frequent sick leaves and inadequate attendance, emerged shortly before his scheduled discharge. It is known that Song Mino has been undergoing treatment for panic disorder and bipolar disorder.
Song Mino, who completed his public service on December 23, 2024, came under suspicion for neglecting his duties, including irregular attendance, during his tenure. The Mapo Police Station in Seoul launched an investigation, summoning him on January 23, 2025, for alleged violations of the Military Service Act. While Song Mino initially responded to the allegations by asserting that he “adhered to regulations” and that “there were no problems with his service,” subsequent investigations, conducted over three sessions, revealed that he largely admitted to both negligent service and unauthorized absences from his duty station.
Specifically, the prosecution’s indictment states that while serving as a public service worker at the Mapo Facilities Management Corporation and the Residents’ Convenience Facility, Song Mino was absent without valid reason for a total of 102 days. A public service worker’s term is 1 year and 9 months, equating to approximately 430 working days when excluding weekends and holidays. This means Song Mino was unauthorizedly absent for roughly one-quarter of his required service period. Notably, in July 2024, he was absent for 19 days, having worked only 4 out of 23 scheduled days.
Moreover, prosecutors also implicate manager Mr. A in Song Mino’s service irregularities. It is alleged that Mr. A permitted Song Mino’s absences, often cited as due to oversleeping or fatigue, and subsequently falsified documents to indicate regular attendance. The indictment details that in May 2023, Mr. A informed Song Mino in advance about his own absence for training, suggesting, “I have training tomorrow, so let’s meet on May 31st.” Following this, Song Mino reportedly chose not to report for duty, and Mr. A then proceeded to falsely complete daily service logbooks, portraying Song Mino as having been present.
