Korean courts have sentenced K‑pop singer Song Min‑ho – better known as Mino – to a suspended one‑year prison term for repeatedly abssting during his alternative military service.
The 33‑year‑old member of the boy band Winner had been working at a community centre in Seoul as a social‑service agent from 2023 to 2024.
South Korea requires all able‑bodied men to serve at least 18 months in the armed forces, though those with health concerns may be assigned to social‑service roles. Those roles carry the same legal obligations as regular enlistment.
The court’s ruling on Thursday imposed a one‑year sentence that is suspended for two years, meaning Mino will avoid incarceration if he commits no further offence during that probationary period.
According to court documents, Mino recorded 102 unauthorised absences during his 21‑month stint as a social‑service agent.
The judge noted that “military service is a duty that must be performed faithfully, and social‑service agents are no exception.”
Despite the severity of the offence, the court acknowledged that Mino admitted the charges and expressed remorse, factors that contributed to the suspended verdict.
Authorities launched their investigation shortly after Mino’s discharge in 2024, when local media reported that he was frequently absent and took excessive sick leave.
His supervisor at the community centre received a suspended jail sentence as well, after allegations that the supervisor falsified records to make it appear Mino had reported to work.
The conscription of South Korea’s entertainers has long been a source of national debate. Psy was ordered to enlist twice in the early 2000s after a court ruled he had failed to fulfil his duties, while pop star Steve Yoo faced legal backlash after evading service and renouncing his citizenship.
For many rising artists, a mandatory hiatus for military duty represents both a career risk and a legal obligation. Public scrutiny is intense and the consequences severe.
Before the ruling, Mino told reporters he regretted his actions and was “sorry toward the people who gave me so much love.” He declined to comment on whether he would re‑enlist to fulfil the mandatory duty.
