The recent confirmation of allegations surrounding WINNER member Song Min Ho's insufficient military service has sparked concerns about the possible consequences he may encounter.
As per the authorities, Song Min Ho was called in for questioning on February 26 concerning his lack of fulfillment as a social service worker. This marks the third time he has been summoned for investigations, with prior instances on January 23 and February 15.
Since commencing his duties as a social service worker in March 2023, Song Min Ho has been accused of breaching military service regulations by not duly reporting to his designated workplace. The police officially charged him on December 23 last year for violating the Military Service Act. YG Entertainment, his agency, defended him by stating that his medical leave was merely an extension of previous treatment and that his other leaves were in compliance with regulations.
Despite this official statement, Song Min Ho has chosen to remain silent on the matter. Reports suggest that during his latest interrogation, he acknowledged leaving his workplace during assigned hours, contradicting his earlier claims. Although he has been at the center of controversy for five months, he has refrained from addressing the issue.
In response to the allegations, some have proposed that Song Min Ho should be reenlisted as an active-duty soldier. However, current regulations make this scenario highly unlikely. According to Article 33 of the Military Service Act, individuals who unlawfully absent themselves from duty may be required to extend their service by five times the duration of their absence. Unauthorized absenteeism exceeding eight days could even lead to a potential three-year prison sentence.
Notably, singer Psy faced similar accusations of insufficient service but ultimately served as an industrial technical personnel for around 35 months until 2005. He subsequently fulfilled his mandatory military service for 20 months as an active-duty soldier after reenlisting in 2007.
This case comes amidst the revelation that a former staff member was responsible for malicious comments towards actress Seo Ye Ji, with the matter now under prosecution scrutiny.