South Korean K-pop idol Song Min-ho, better known by his stage name Mino and a core member of the popular boy band Winner, has received a suspended one-year prison sentence following his conviction for breaching the country’s strict military service regulations, a Seoul court confirmed this week.
Under South Korean law, all able-bodied adult men are required to complete a minimum of 18 months of military service. For individuals with qualifying health conditions, an alternative posting as a public social service worker is granted in place of active military duty. Song, 33, was assigned to a Seoul-based community service center for a 21-month placement that ran from 2023 to 2024. Court documents reveal that the entertainer racked up 102 unapproved absences from his role over the course of his posting.
Thursday’s ruling handed down a one-year prison term, which has been suspended for a two-year probation period. If Song avoids any further criminal offenses during this probation window, he will not be required to serve jail time. In its official statement, the court emphasized that mandatory military service is a obligation that all eligible South Korean men must fulfill “faithfully”, adding that alternative social service placements do not exempt individuals from this responsibility. Even so, the court opted for a suspended sentence after acknowledging that Song had pled guilty to all charges and expressed genuine remorse for his actions.
The investigation into Song’s conduct was launched shortly after he completed his social service placement in 2024, following local media reports of repeated unauthorized absences and excessive unapproved sick leave. In a related development, Song’s supervisor at the community service center also received a suspended prison sentence for aiding Song in dodging his duties, including falsifying attendance records to falsely show that Song had reported for work as required.
This case has reignited long-running public debate in South Korea over how celebrities fulfill their mandatory military service obligations. High-profile military service controversies involving South Korean entertainers date back decades: global hit “Gangnam Style” singer Psy was forced to enlist twice, first in 2003 and again in 2007, after a court ruled he had improperly neglected his duties by continuing active entertainment work during his first service term. 1990s and early 2000s top star Steve Yoo was banned from South Korea after he renounced his citizenship and became a U.S. national to avoid conscription in 2002, sparking a nationwide scandal.
In South Korea’s fast-paced entertainment industry, taking a two-year hiatus to complete military service often poses a major threat to rising or established entertainers’ careers, as audiences shift their attention to newer active acts. Still, any attempt to evade conscription carries harsh legal penalties and widespread public condemnation.
Ahead of Thursday’s ruling, local outlet Seoul Economic Daily reports that Song spoke to reporters, acknowledging his regret and stating he was “sorry toward the people who gave me so much love”. He declined, however, to respond to questions about whether he would re-enlist to complete his mandatory service requirement.