Mino Receives Suspended Prison Sentence Over 102 Military-Service Absences

WINNER member Mino has received a suspended prison sentence over unauthorized absences during his alternative military service.

The Seoul Western District Court sentenced Mino, whose legal name is Song Min-ho, to one year in prison suspended for two years on October 1 after finding him guilty of violating South Korea’s Military Service Act.

Mino was charged with failing to report to his duty station on 102 nonconsecutive days while serving as a social service agent in western Seoul between March 2023 and December 2024.

Prosecutors had sought an 18-month prison sentence.

In explaining the ruling, the court emphasized that military service obligations must be carried out faithfully and that social service agents are not exempt from that responsibility. It also considered mitigating circumstances, including Mino’s admission of the charges, his expression of remorse and his health condition during the service period.

Mino apologized ahead of the sentencing and said he regretted his actions.

The ruling could also affect his remaining military-service obligation.

South Korea’s Military Manpower Administration said that if the judgment becomes final, Mino is expected to serve an additional period corresponding to the days he was absent, with administrative procedures to follow.

That does not mean Mino has already been ordered to serve another 102 days. The October 1 decision is a first-instance judgment and has not yet become final.

The sentence marks a concrete legal outcome in a case that began with questions surrounding Mino’s attendance while completing alternative service and later developed into a criminal prosecution under the Military Service Act.