WINNER member Song Mino, indicted for allegedly violating South Korea’s military service law, is expected to return to court as a witness in the trial of his former supervisor, who is charged with conspiracy in the case.
According to reports confirmed on July 8, Song Mino will testify at the third hearing of Supervisor A, accused of violating the Military Service Law. The hearing will take place on July 14 at the Seoul Western District Court.
During the previous hearing, A’s lawyer acknowledged that there had been irregularities in the management of attendance records, but denied any previous conspiracy with Song Mino. The defense argued that while errors may have occurred in the processing of attendance records, there was no premeditated agreement or division of roles to falsify employment records.
A’s legal team subsequently requested Song Mino as a witness. The court has indicated that it will consider approving the request once the formal application is submitted. The witness request was reportedly filed on July 7.
Prosecutors currently believe that Supervisor A actively participated in the cover-up of Song Mino’s repeated absences from his assigned workplace. According to the investigation, each time Song Mino informed A that he would not show up for work due to oversleeping, tiredness or other reasons, the supervisor would approve the absence and later create false documents indicating that Song Mino had come to work as scheduled.
According to the indictment, prosecutors said that in May 2023 A had informed Song Mino in advance that he would not be present at work due to training, telling him: “Tomorrow I will train, so I will not be at work. See you on May 31.” Prosecutors allege that Song Mino subsequently failed to report for duty on his own initiative, while attendance records were later falsified to indicate that he had worked that day.
The Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Western District Prosecutor’s Office charged both Song Mino and Supervisor A without detention on December 30 last year. Prosecutors allege that between March 2023 and December 2024, Song Mino repeatedly left his assigned job without legitimate reasons and neglected his duties while serving as a public service employee at a facility in Seoul’s Mapo District. Supervisor A is accused of knowingly neglecting his supervisory responsibilities despite being aware of Song Mino’s poor attendance.
The court held the first hearing for both defendants on April 21. During that session, prosecutors requested a prison sentence of one year and six months for Song Mino after he admitted to all charges listed in the indictment.
In his final statement, Song Mino apologized to the court, saying: “I would like to sincerely apologize to Your Honor and everyone present today. As a citizen of South Korea, I did not faithfully observe my mandatory military service to the end.”
He continued: “I suffer from bipolar disorder and panic disorder, but I fully understand that these illnesses should never be used as excuses or justifications. As someone who has received so much love from the public, I am deeply ashamed that I have failed to set a good example. I regret my choices tremendously.”
Song Mino also stated that he is currently undergoing treatment and expressed willingness to serve again if given the opportunity. “I am working hard on my recovery. If I am given the opportunity to complete my military service again, I will fulfill it faithfully until the end. Once again, I sincerely apologize,” he said.
Song Mino was classified as rank 4 during his military physical examination and began his mandatory service as a public service employee at the Mapo Facilities Management Corporation in March 2023. In March 2024, he was transferred to the Mapo Community Convenience Facility.
However, shortly before completing his service, allegations of poor attendance and negligent performance surfaced. The reports mentioned frequent sickness absences and repeated absences. It was also reported that Song Mino was being treated for panic disorder and bipolar disorder.
Although he officially completed his public service on December 23, 2024, allegations soon surfaced that he had repeatedly failed to report for duty during his service. As a result, the Mapo police station summoned him for questioning on January 23 last year on suspicion of violating the Military Service Law.
At the time, Song Mino explained his position to investigators, insisting that he had “performed his duties according to regulations” and that “there had been no problems with his service”. However, after three rounds of questioning, investigators concluded that he had largely admitted to poor attendance and unauthorized absences.
According to the indictment, Song Mino was absent without authorization for a total of 102 days while serving at the Mapo Facilities Management Corporation and the Mapo Community Convenience Facility. Public service workers are required to complete approximately 430 working days in their year and nine months of service, excluding weekends and public holidays. Prosecutors therefore allege that Song Mino was absent for almost a quarter of the required period of service. In July 2024 alone, he would have missed 19 of the 23 scheduled working days, reporting for duty on just four days.
Sources: Daum
