[Jung Bit, Sportschosun] Mino, a member of the group WINNER who was indicted for allegedly being absent without authorization for more than 100 days while serving as social service personnel, received a suspended prison sentence in the first trial.
On October 1, Judge Sung Jun-gyu of Criminal Division 10 of the Seoul Western District Court sentenced Mino to one year in prison, suspended for two years, for violating the Military Service Act.
Mino was indicted for allegedly being absent without a valid reason for 102 days while serving as social service personnel at a facility in Seoul's Mapo District from March 2023 to December 2024.
The court pointed out, "Military service is a basic duty of citizens and must be faithfully fulfilled, and social service personnel are no exception," adding, "Mino's 102 days of unauthorized absence during his service period cannot be considered a minor offense."
However, the court took into account during sentencing that Mino admitted to the charges and expressed remorse, as well as the fact that he had been receiving psychiatric treatment.
Mr. Lee, the manager in charge who was indicted alongside Mino for allegedly helping him improperly perform his service, was sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years. The court determined that Lee had participated in Mino's absence from duty by processing him as having reported for work normally despite knowing about his unauthorized absences.
Immediately after the sentencing, Mino reportedly told reporters, "I will humbly accept the court's decision," before leaving the courthouse.
At the first hearing held in April, prosecutors had sought a sentence of one year and six months in prison for Mino and one year in prison for Lee, saying, "He did not actually work because of his prolonged unauthorized absences and falsely explained his attendance record to the supervising agency."
At the time, Mino admitted to being absent from his service but denied the allegation that he had colluded with the facility manager.
Jung Bit, Sportschosun reporter rightlight@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
