WINNER member Song Mino is once again drawing public attention as the legal proceedings surrounding his alternative military service continue to unfold. According to StarNews, the focus has now shifted not only to Song, who has acknowledged the charges against him, but also to the service management official indicted alongside him.
The case centers on allegations of violations of South Korea's Military Service Act during Song Mino's period as a social service worker. Prosecutors have argued that Song was absent from his assigned workplace for 102 days and that the service manager, identified only as A, allowed the absences and helped create documents that did not accurately reflect his attendance. Song has reportedly admitted the charges, while A has denied involvement, setting up a sharper legal dispute over who was responsible for the disputed records.
The Seoul Western District Court is expected to hold another hearing for A on May 21. Because A has denied the charges, the next stage of the trial is likely to focus heavily on whether prosecutors can prove that the manager knowingly approved or documented false attendance records. Song's side, meanwhile, has already closed arguments, and his sentencing date is expected to be set separately.
Prosecutors have requested a prison sentence of one year and six months for Song. In his final statement, he apologized for failing to fulfill his national duty faithfully and referred to mental health struggles, including bipolar disorder and panic disorder, as part of the background surrounding the case. The court has not yet issued a final ruling.
For K-pop audiences, the case remains sensitive because it touches on one of the most closely watched issues for male celebrities in South Korea: military service. Public response to service-related controversies is often intense, and the legal process can have a lasting impact on an artist's public image beyond the courtroom itself.
At this stage, the key point is that Song Mino has admitted the charges against him, while the indicted service manager is contesting the prosecution's claims. The upcoming hearing will be important in determining whether the court accepts prosecutors' argument that the attendance records were knowingly mishandled, or whether A's defense can create reasonable doubt around that part of the case.
