WINNER member Song Minho appeared in court to face trial on charges of violating the Military Service Act.
The Seoul Western District Court, Criminal Division 10 (Single Judge), convened its first hearing on the 21st for Song Minho and his service supervisor, Mr. A. Both are accused 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.
On this day, some fans gathered alongside reporters at the courthouse entrance, drawing considerable attention as they waited to catch a glimpse of Song Minho. The artist appeared around 9:53 AM, dressed in a suit and accompanied by his legal counsel.
According to the prosecution, Song Minho is accused of serving as a social service worker at a facility in Mapo-gu, Seoul, from March 2023 to December 2024. During this period, he allegedly left his workplace without legitimate reason and neglected his attendance and duties. Mr. A, his supervisor, is accused of neglecting his oversight responsibilities despite being aware of Song Minho’s dereliction of duty.
Song Minho, who was classified as a Level 4 supplementary service member during his conscription physical examination, commenced his military duty as a social service worker at the Mapo Facility Management Corporation in March 2023. He later transferred to the Mapo Resident Convenience Facility in March 2024. However, allegations of negligent service, including frequent sick leaves and inconsistent attendance, surfaced shortly before his scheduled discharge. It is known that Song Minho has been receiving treatment for panic disorder and bipolar disorder.
Song Minho, who was discharged from his service on December 23, 2024, came under suspicion for neglecting his duties, including improper attendance during his social service period. Consequently, the Mapo Police Station in Seoul initiated a summons investigation on January 23, 2025, regarding his alleged violations of the Military Service Act. While Song Minho initially explained his position and stated he “worked according to regulations” and had “no problems with his service,” subsequent investigations, spanning three rounds, revealed that he largely admitted to both negligent service and unauthorized absence from his workplace.
Specifically, according to the indictment presented by the prosecution, Song Minho was absent without authorization for a total of 102 days while serving as a social service worker at the Mapo-gu Facility Management Corporation and Resident Convenience Facility, thereby abandoning his service without legitimate reason. The standard service period for a social service worker is 1 year and 9 months, which translates to approximately 430 total working days, excluding weekends and public holidays. This means Song Minho was illegally absent for roughly a quarter of his entire service duration. Notably, in July 2024 alone, he was absent for 19 days, only fulfilling his duties on 4 out of 23 scheduled working days.
Furthermore, the prosecution has implicated supervisor Mr. A in Song Minho’s unauthorized absences. It is reported that Mr. A allegedly granted permission when Song Minho cited reasons such as oversleeping or fatigue for not reporting to work, and subsequently falsified documents to make it appear as though Song Minho had properly attended. The prosecution’s indictment specifies that in May 2023, Mr. A informed Song Minho in advance that he would be absent for training the following day, stating, “I have training tomorrow, so let’s meet on May 31st.” As a result, Song Minho arbitrarily did not report for duty, and Mr. A subsequently documented in the daily service log that Song Minho had attended work.
