WINNER's MINO Faces Verdict Over 102 Days of Military Service Absences

K-POP group WINNER's MINO (Song Mino), 33, is set to receive a first-instance verdict on Oct. 1 over allegations that he missed 102 days of alternative military service without authorization. The Seoul Western District Court is scheduled to announce its ruling at 10 a.m.

The court's 10th criminal division will rule on the Military Service Act violation charges against Song and his former service supervisor, identified by his surname Lee.

Song performed his military service as a member of the social service personnel from March 2023 through December 2024. He was assigned to the Mapo district's facilities management corporation and a community facility in Seoul. Prosecutors say his unauthorized absences totaled 102 days, nearly a quarter of his roughly 430 required workdays.

Lee is accused of knowingly recording Song's absences as normal attendance and allowing the misconduct to continue. Prosecutors sought a prison term of one year and six months for Song at his closing hearing in April.

At Lee's closing hearing on Aug. 20, prosecutors requested a one-year prison term. They argued that he played an essential role in enabling Song's prolonged absences and took steps to conceal them from oversight authorities.

Song acknowledged the unauthorized absences during his trial and apologized. In his closing statement, he said he had been living with depression and panic disorder but understood that his illness could not excuse his conduct. He also expressed a wish to recover his health and complete his service if given another opportunity.

He denied, however, that he had planned the absences with Lee. After proceedings in his own case concluded, Song testified at Lee's trial that he was responsible for failing to report to work. He said Lee had never instructed him to stay away and that they had never discussed ways to evade his service duties.

Song acknowledged lending Lee money, advising him on his child's dance activities and joining him on an overnight fishing trip. He described these as personal interactions arising from a friendship formed during his service and said he had not sought preferential treatment in return.

Lee's defense also acknowledged problems with the attendance records but denied any prior agreement with Song. His lawyers said Lee had failed to adequately check Song's attendance while handling multiple duties. They asked the court to defer sentencing, citing his 26 years in public service.

The investigation began in December 2024 following a referral from the Military Manpower Administration. Seoul's Mapo Police Station referred the case to prosecutors in May 2025. Prosecutors subsequently identified additional unauthorized absences through forensic analysis of mobile phone data and checks of location records, indicting both men without detention in December 2025.