Manager A, who was charged alongside WINNER’s Song Minho for violating the Military Service Act, once again denied his conspiracy charges while not denying his role in aiding and abetting the alleged violations.
On the 21st, the Seoul Western District Court, Criminal Division 10 Sole Judge, held the second public trial for Manager A on charges of violating the Military Service Act.
During the trial, Manager A’s lawyer stated, “While Manager A does not deny that there were incorrect methods used in some attendance record processing, there was no prior conspiracy or division of roles to falsely record commute times.”
Manager A’s side subsequently requested Song Minho as a witness, and the court announced it would consider adopting the request upon submission of the relevant application.
The next public trial date is scheduled for July 14.
The prosecution believes that Manager A was also involved in Song Minho’s unauthorized absences. It is reported that when Song Minho cited reasons like oversleeping or fatigue for not coming to work, Manager A would grant permission and then falsely create documents as if Song Minho had attended normally. The indictment specifies that in May 2023, Manager A informed Song Minho in advance that he would not be coming to work due to training, saying, “I have training tomorrow, so I won’t be in; let’s see each other on May 31st.” Following this, Song Minho arbitrarily did not report for duty, and Manager A subsequently completed the daily service status report as if Song Minho had been present.
The court previously held the first public trial for both individuals on April 21. The prosecution sought a sentence of 1 year and 6 months imprisonment for Song Minho, who admitted to all charges.
On December 30, 2025, the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office, Criminal Division 1 (Chief Prosecutor Won Shin-hye), indicted both individuals without detention on charges of violating the Military Service Act. 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 but is accused of unauthorized absences from his workplace and neglecting his duties without proper justification. Manager A is accused of neglecting his supervisory duties despite being aware of Song Minho’s dereliction of duty.
Meanwhile, in his final statement, Song Minho said, “I want to sincerely apologize to the presiding judge and everyone present here. As a young man of the Republic of Korea, I failed to diligently fulfill my mandatory national defense duty to the very end. I suffer from bipolar disorder and panic disorder, and I am well aware that these conditions should never serve as an excuse or justification. As someone who receives love from many people, I feel truly sorry when I see myself in such a shameful light, failing to set an example. Only deep 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 for re-service, I want to complete it faithfully to the end. I want to apologize once again.”
Song Minho, who was assigned to Level 4 supplementary service after his conscription physical examination, fulfilled his military duty as a social service agent at the Mapo Facility Management Corporation from March 2023. In March 2024, he transferred to the Mapo Resident Convenience Facility. However, suspicions of negligent service arose shortly before his scheduled discharge. Frequent sick leave and irregular attendance were identified as issues. It is known that Song Minho has been receiving treatment for panic disorder and bipolar disorder during this period.
Song Minho, who was discharged on December 23, 2024, faced allegations of neglecting his duties, including improper attendance, during his time as a social service agent. The Mapo Police Station in Seoul initiated a summons investigation into Song Minho on January 23, 2025, on charges of violating the Military Service Act. At the time, Song Minho explained the facts regarding the allegations against him, asserting that he “worked according to regulations” and “had no issues with his service.” However, three rounds of investigation revealed that he largely admitted to negligent service and unauthorized absences from his workplace.
Specifically, according to the indictment submitted by the prosecution, while serving as a social service agent at the Mapo-gu Facility Management Corporation and Resident Convenience Facility, Song Minho was absent without authorization for a total of 102 days, abandoning his service without proper justification. The service period for a social service agent is 1 year and 9 months, with approximately 430 mandatory workdays excluding weekends and holidays. Song Minho, therefore, was absent without authorization for roughly one-quarter of his service period. Notably, in July 2024, he was absent for a total of 19 days, working only 4 days out of 23 scheduled workdays.
