MINO, a member of K-pop boy group WINNER, appeared for police questioning over allegations that he neglected his duties as a social service worker.
On December 17, news outlet Dispatch reported suspicions that MINO and his supervisor may have been concealing his actual attendance records.
According to Dispatch, they visited his workplace more than 10 times to verify the claims, but MINO was never present.
The outlet alleged that the supervisor tried to cover for MINO's poor attendance by offering excuses such as, "He's on leave today," "He's on sick leave," or "He's hospitalized."
This report quickly gained attention, and criticism toward MINO grew; he was accused of using his celebrity status to ease out of his alternative military service.
▶ [SBS Star] MINO Accused of Falsifying Attendance Records During Alternative Military Service
Amid the growing controversy, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon ordered an emergency review of the service records of social service workers across all organizations under the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
He vowed to take strict action based on the investigation's findings and, if necessary, to recommend system improvements to the Military Manpower Administration to ensure fair enforcement of military service obligations.
Soon after, the police received a request from the Military Manpower Administration to investigate MINO, launching an official investigation.
Then, on January 23, Seoul's Mapo Police Station summoned MINO for questioning over alleged violations of the Military Service Act.
During questioning, MINO reportedly stated that he had "fulfilled his duties properly."
The police are considering conducting a second round of questioning as part of the investigation.
The Military Manpower Administration has indicated that if MINO is found to have violated service requirements, he could be required to serve additional time for the disputed period, even though he has already been discharged.
MINO enlisted at the Army Training Center in March 2023, completed basic military training, and began serving as a social service worker. He was discharged on December 23.
(Credit= YG Entertainment)