WINNER's Mino to reenlist in the military after guilty verdict
WINNER's Mino is expected to reenlist in the mandatory military service after the court found him guilty of negligence during his alternative service.
According to local media outlets The Korea Times and The Korea Herald, an official from the Military Manpower Administration said on Oct. 16 that the agency is reviewing the exact length of his remaining service and deciding where he will be assigned.
The decision came after he was convicted on Oct. 1, when a court sentenced him to one year in prison, suspended for two years.
The K-pop idol, whose real name is Song Min Ho, repeatedly failed to report for duty while serving as a social service agent at a facility in Seoul’s Mapo-gu district from March 2023 to December 2024. He was found to have been absent without authorization for 102 of the 430 days of his service.
His supervisor was also handed a suspended prison sentence for helping Song evade his duties, including falsifying attendance records to make it appear that he had reported for work, per BBC.
Following the Oct. 1 ruling, Mino apologized to his fans in a handwritten note posted on Instagram.
"I'm deeply sorry for causing so much distress to many of you. I should have clarified my position as soon as possible, but I'm sorry it took too long. I'm sorry for making you wait for so long," he wrote in Korean.
He also apologized to young men who are "faithfully fulfilling their military service obligations," and to his fans.
"I'm ashamed and disgusted by my past choices that lacked responsibility. I will not avoid my foolish mistakes and reflect on them," Mino said.
Mino debuted in the K-pop scene as part of the boy group WINNER alongside Jin-woo, Seung-yoon, and Seung-hoon.
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