WINNER's Song Mino officially admitted to all charges related to violating the Military Service Act in his first trial held at the Seoul Western District Court on Tuesday (April 21, 2026). Mino was present with another defendant, with the initials 'A', who was the manager in charge of the place where he served during his military service as a public servant.
According to the indictment read by the prosecutor, Song Mino is accused of being absent from work without a valid reason for a total of 102 days while working at a facility in Mapo District, Seoul, between March 2023 and December 2024.
Prosecutors detailed that out of a total of approximately 430 effective working days during his tenure, Mino was absent for approximately a quarter. The peak of his violations occurred in July 2024, when he was recorded as having only worked four of the 23 days he was supposed to, while leaving the remaining 19 days without permission, citing fatigue or waking up late.
In addition to Mino, manager 'A' was also indicted for allegedly assisting him in covering up Mino's absence. Prosecutors presented evidence that 'A' allowed Mino to miss work and falsified attendance documents to make it appear as if Mino was present normally.
In fact, there is evidence of communication where 'A' told Mino not to come while he was undergoing external training, and then falsified the daily duty log. However, in this trial, party 'A' denied the accusations and stated that they had never conspired with Song Mino. In front of the panel of judges, Song Mino stated, "I admit all the facts alleged by the prosecutor."
This stance contrasts with his initial statement during the police investigation in January 2025. At the time, he insisted he had carried out his duties according to regulations. However, after three intensive interrogations, he finally admitted to negligence and neglect of his place of duty.
For your information, Song Mino began his mandatory military service as a public servant (Level 4) in March 2023 due to a medical history of panic disorder and bipolar disorder. He was initially discharged on December 23, 2024, before the case became public and escalated into legal proceedings.
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