K-pop star penalized for violating South Korea’s military service law

International

By Patricia Andrea Pateña-Matheu

THE courtroom has become the latest stop in Song Min-ho’s military service saga, with the Winner singer receiving a suspended one-year prison sentence for violating South Korea’s military service law.

The 33-year-old K-pop star was convicted Thursday after a court found that he had recorded 102 unauthorised absences during his 21-month assignment as a social service agent at a community centre in Seoul from 2023 to 2024.

The sentence is suspended for two years, meaning Song will avoid prison as long as he does not commit another crime during the probation period.

South Korea requires able-bodied men to serve at least 18 months in the military. Some men who qualify on health grounds are instead assigned to alternative duties as social service personnel.

The court said military service must be performed “faithfully”, adding that social service agents were also subject to that obligation. It also noted that Song had admitted to the charges and shown remorse.

Authorities began investigating Song after he completed his service in 2024, following local media reports that he had frequently been absent from his duties and had taken excessive sick leave.

His supervisor at the social service centre also received a suspended prison sentence for helping him evade his duties, including falsifying records to make it appear that Song had reported for work.

According to a BBC report, Song, who is also known as Mino, expressed regret before Thursday’s ruling.

Seoul Economic Daily reported that he told reporters he was “sorry toward the people who gave me so much love”.

He did not answer when asked whether he would re-enlist to complete his mandatory military duty.

Military service has long been a subject of public debate in South Korea, particularly when it involves entertainers.

Psy, the singer behind “Gangnam Style”, served twice after a Seoul court ruled that he had neglected his duties by continuing his entertainment activities during his first service period. He enlisted in 2003 and served again in 2007.

Steve Yoo, a major pop star in the 1990s and early 2000s, became embroiled in controversy in 2002 after he was found to have evaded military service. South Korean authorities later barred him from the country after he renounced his citizenship and became a US national shortly before he was due to serve.

For South Korean entertainers, mandatory service can mean stepping away from their careers, while violations can bring legal proceedings and public scrutiny.(MyTVCebu)