Only Song Min-ho (Mino) to Serve Again? Service Institution Also Faces Administrative Action for Lax Oversight

[Financial News] Singer Mino, 33, has received a suspended prison sentence in the first trial on charges of absence from Social Service Personnel service. The Military Manpower Administration (MMA) plans to order him to serve again after the sentence becomes final and take administrative measures against the relevant service institution.
According to the MMA on the 2nd, once the sentence in Mino's case involving a violation of the Military Service Act becomes final, it will revoke his existing release-from-call-up order and calculate the period he did not actually serve before requiring him to serve again.
Earlier, Judge Sung Jun-gyu of the Seoul Western District Court, sitting as the presiding judge of its 10th Criminal Division, sentenced Mino on the 1st to one year in prison, suspended for two years, for violating the Military Service Act. The court found him guilty of being absent from service for a total of 102 days without a legitimate reason while serving as Social Service Personnel.
The MMA said, "We plan to make a final calculation after reviewing the court's written judgment and relevant service records." It added, "Once the sentence becomes final, we will begin the procedures to revoke the release from call-up, calculate the service period, and notify him to serve again."
If Mino claims that he is unable to serve normally again for health reasons, he may also undergo a review for unsuitability for service. The MMA explained, "The head of a service institution may submit an application to the head of a regional military manpower office for the release from call-up of a Social Service Personnel member if the head determines that the person is unable to perform normal duties because of an illness or mental or physical impairment."
Lee, 54, the service-management official found to have participated as a co-principal in Mino's offense, testified at trial that he requested an unsuitability-for-service disposition from the MMA after receiving Mino's medical opinion. However, citing personal-information protection, the MMA did not disclose whether the request had been made at the time or how it had been handled.
Lee was also sentenced in the trial to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years. The court found that he had actively participated in the offense by filling out the service-status record as though Mino had reported for work normally, despite knowing about Mino's unauthorized absences.
Regarding Lee's guilty verdict, the MMA said, "Under Article 54(5) of the Social Service Personnel Service Management Regulations, we plan to take administrative measures against the relevant service institution once the sentence becomes final."
Under the provision, if violations are identified during an inspection of a service institution, measures such as filing a criminal complaint, requesting disciplinary action, or issuing a warning or caution may be taken depending on the severity. It is also possible to cancel or limit the number of Social Service Personnel assigned under separate regulations.
However, the MMA has yet to decide the specific measures or their severity to apply to the service institution. If neither prosecutors nor the defense appeals, the ruling will become final next week, after which the MMA plans to proceed with the necessary administrative procedures.


[email protected] Choi Seung-han Reporter