On December 26, Song Min Ho (Mino) of WINNER was officially booked as a suspect by the Mapo Police, following a referral from the Military Manpower Administration (MMA) for an investigation into his military service. The police will now examine the details of the referral to determine whether Song Min Ho violated the Military Service Act.
The MMA has indicated that should the police investigation reveal that Song Min Ho’s service performance was lacking, his discharge could be reversed, and he may be required to serve again for the period in which he failed to meet his duties properly. The MMA further clarified that it would not conduct an independent investigation, as the police investigation would provide more accurate and reliable results.
The controversy started on December 17, when Dispatch reported that Song Min Ho had not been fulfilling his duties properly while serving at the Mapo Resident Welfare Facility. On December 23, further allegations emerged from interviews with fellow public service workers and staff, claiming that Song Min Ho would occasionally report to work but would lie down and play games instead of fulfilling his responsibilities.
In response, YG Entertainment, his agency, stated, "It is difficult to confirm the specific details of his service," but denied the allegations, asserting that Song Min Ho's sick leave was part of an ongoing treatment he had received before enlistment, and all other leaves were used in accordance with regulations.
In light of these allegations, Seoul Mayor Oh Se Hoon ordered a full-scale investigation into the service records of public service workers under the Seoul City Government and its affiliated organizations. "We will take strict action based on the results of the investigation and, if necessary, propose improvements to the Military Manpower Administration to ensure fairness in military duties," he said.
SBS’s 'Curious Story Y' program has also announced that it is gathering information from individuals who have witnessed or have knowledge of similar issues with entertainers’ military service, further fueling speculation about whether the controversy could spread across the entertainment industry.
Meanwhile, Song Min Ho was discharged from service on December 23, but questions arose when it was revealed that he did not report to work on the day of his discharge.
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