In South Korea, all able-bodied male citizens are required to complete mandatory military service. This law is in effect mostly due to security threats from beyond their northern border, North Korea. This is detailed in the Conscription in South Korea, which has existed since 1957. Any able-bodied male between the ages of 18 and 35 is included in the draft. This law doesn’t require women to do the same, though they can voluntarily enlist in the military.
On March 24, 2023, Song Min-ho, better known by his stage name Mino, enlisted in mandatory military service. Mino is a member of the boy band Winner, in addition to having his own solo career and a hip-hop duo, MOBB. He is also a reality television star, which is how he joined Winner. He was on the show Win: Who Is Next in 2013, a survival reality show where two teams of performers compete against each other. Team A, which included Mino, won the competition, becoming the K-pop boy band Winner.
Mino had previously debuted with the ballad group BoM from 2011 to 2013. In 2015, Mino competed on the rap-survival show Show Me The Money 4. Despite finishing as the runner-up, he became the best-selling artist in the show’s history. This led Mino to embark on a solo career in 2016, and he has since released 3 solo albums. Notably, Mino has suffered from a herniated disc in his neck and wasn’t in full health when he enlisted. This is likely why he was arrested on December 26, 2024, on suspicion of violating the Military Service Act.
Mino Admits to Skipping Work
On March 31, 2025, Korea JoongAng Daily reported, “Rapper Song Min-ho has ‘largely’ acknowledged that he left his assigned worksite during his time as a public service member, according to police.” They also added, “According to local broadcaster SBS, Song was summoned to the Mapo Police Precinct in western Seoul in January [2025] for an inquiry into allegations that he took excessive sick leave from the community center where he was assigned as a social worker and manipulated attendance records to cover unwarranted absences.”
On October 1, 2026, Song Min-ho received a suspended one-year prison sentence for violating South Korea’s military service law. The BBC reports that “The prison sentence handed down on Thursday is suspended for two years. That means he can avoid incarceration if he does not commit any crime during that two-year probationary period.” BBC also added, “The court heard that Song, who is known by his stage name Mino, had recorded 102 unauthorized absences during his 21-month sting as a social service agent.”
Song Min-ho is one of many South Korean entertainers who serve under the conscription. In early 2026, all seven members of BTS officially completed their mandatory military service. They returned to the stage in March 2026. In 2003, singer and rapper Psy was exempt from active-duty military service and worked as an IT specialist. An investigation found that he lacked proper IT qualifications and instead prioritized performing. As a result, Psy was forced to re-enlist as an active-duty soldier after already serving 55 months.
Photo by The Chosunilbo JNS/Imazins via Getty Images
The post K-Pop Star Receives Prison Sentence After Violating Mandatory Military Service appeared first on VICE.
