WINNER member Song Mino may be facing a prison sentence as investigations reveal he allegedly neglected his alternative military service duties more severely than initially believed.
Authorities have confirmed that Mino, who served as a social service worker, repeatedly failed to report for duty and left his assigned workplace without authorization. Initial police investigations already confirmed more than eight days of unauthorized absence, and prosecutors later uncovered additional days through a forensic analysis of his cell phone and GPS data.
Under Korean Military Service Act Article 89, leaving one’s service post without justifiable reason for eight days or more can result in up to three years in prison. With Mino’s confirmed absence days now expected to exceed that threshold, legal experts say the possibility of a prison sentence has significantly increased.
The Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office recently indicted Mino without detention for violating the Military Service Act, stating that the number of confirmed unauthorized absences grew during supplementary investigation.
Officials from the Military Manpower Administration (MMA) also noted that absences within seven days are usually handled administratively, but cases exceeding eight days are automatically escalated to criminal charges — explaining why Mino’s case was forwarded to police and then prosecutors.
Mino’s unauthorized absences occurred between March 2023 and December 2024, during which he was assigned to serve in Mapo-gu, Seoul. While he initially denied the allegations during two rounds of police questioning, he admitted in the third interrogation that he had left his workplace during work hours.
As the confirmed number of absence days continues to rise, so does the likelihood that Mino could face jail time depending on the court’s judgment.
