Winner’s Mino gets suspended prison term for violating military service law

Winner member Mino has been sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for two years, after a South Korean court found him guilty of violating the country’s Military Service Act.

The Seoul Western District Court handed down the ruling on Thursday, 1 October, over Mino’s repeated unauthorized absences while serving as a social service worker, an alternative form of mandatory military service.

Mino, whose real name is Song Min-ho, was accused of failing to report to his assigned workplace in Seoul’s Mapo District for 102 nonconsecutive days between March 2023 and December 2024.

The 33-year-old admitted to the charges. Prosecutors had sought an 18-month prison sentence.

In handing down the suspended sentence, the court stressed that social service personnel are still required to faithfully fulfill their military obligations. It also considered Mino’s admission of wrongdoing and remorse.

The case may not end with the suspended sentence. South Korea’s Military Manpower Administration said Mino could be required to complete an additional 102 days of alternative service corresponding to his unauthorized absences once the court ruling becomes final. The agency stressed that the requirement has not yet been finalized because the 1 October decision is a first-instance ruling.

Mino debuted with Winner in 2014 and is known for songs including “Really Really,” “Empty” and “Everyday,” as well as his solo music and appearances on Korean variety programs.