K-pop Star Mino Receives Suspended Prison Sentence for Military Service Violations

Winner star Song Min‑ho, known as Mino, was convicted of repeated absences while serving as a social‑service worker and was given a suspended one‑year prison term, allowing him to avoid incarceration if he stays crime‑free for two years.

The 33‑year‑old member of the boy band Winner had been scheduled to serve 18 months of compulsory military service. Instead, he worked as a social‑service agent at a Seoul community centre from 2023 to 2024, yet the court found he was absent 102 times, a violation of South Korea’s military service law.

In the 21‑month period, the court noted that Mino’s absences included frequent unreported sick leave and missing mandatory shifts. The judge highlighted that those assigned to social service perform duties “faithfully” like regular soldiers, and that social‑service agents are not exempt from the same standards.

Rather than a direct prison term, the court handed Mino a one‑year sentence suspended for two years. If he commits no crime during that probationary period, he will avoid jail.

The case also uncovered that Mino’s supervisor was sentenced for falsifying attendance records to conceal the singer’s absences, underscoring a systemic attempt to dodge duty.

The debate over celebrity conscription has deep roots in South Korea. Psy, known worldwide for “Gangnam Style,” was required to enlist twice after a court ruled he had neglected military duties. Likewise, pop icon Steve Yoo was banned after being found guilty of evading service in 2002.

For artists, pause for national service can threaten career momentum, while evasion attracts intense public criticism and legal consequences, as Mino’s conviction demonstrates.

Mino publicly expressed remorse, saying he was “sorry toward the people who gave me so much love” but declined to discuss plans for re‑enlistment.