Song Min-ho of the group WINNER has been brought to trial for unauthorized departure for over 100 days during his social service, placing him at the center of military service controversy.
According to the legal community on the 13th, the Seoul Western District Prosecutor's Office stated in the indictment that Song Min-ho was absent for a total of 102 days without justifiable reasons while working at the Mapo-gu Facility Management Corporation and others. This amounts to a quarter of the total attendance days for social service personnel (about 430 days) being unauthorized.
As a result of the prosecution's investigation, Song Min-ho's unauthorized absences became bolder as his discharge date approached. In early 2023, the number of days absent was only one, but by July 2024, it had increased to 19 days, and in November, just before his discharge, he was found to have been absent for 14 days, half of the month.
In particular, when Song Min-ho expressed his intention not to report for duty citing reasons such as "I overslept," it was revealed that the responsible person, Mr. A, condoned this and forged official documents to make it appear as if he had reported for duty. The prosecution has also charged the relevant manager with the crime of falsifying official documents.
Under the current Military Service Act, if a person is absent from service for more than 8 days without justifiable reasons, they can be punished with up to 3 years in prison. Additionally, the service period may be extended by five times the number of unauthorized absence days.
Regarding the possibility of 're-enlistment' raised by some, legal experts have analyzed that it is realistically difficult. This is because Song Min-ho has already been discharged, and there is insufficient legal basis under current law to re-enlist someone who has been classified as a social service personnel.
Song Min-ho's side argues that the sick leave used during service was for treatment that had been ongoing since before enlistment, and that the vacation was also used in accordance with regulations. Public attention is focused on the truth that will be revealed in the first trial scheduled for April 21.
