Get unlimited access to everything VICE has to offer.

Turn off all ads on VICE.com

Exclusive New VICE Documentaries

Member Exclusive Features & Columns

Turn off all ads on VICE.com

Exclusive New VICE Documentaries

Member Exclusive Features & Columns

Turn off all ads on VICE.com

Exclusive New VICE Documentaries

Member Exclusive Features & Columns

4 Magazines Delivered to Your Door

K-Pop Star Receives Prison Sentence After Violating Mandatory Military Service

Song Min-ho has been handed a one-year prison sentence, though he may be eligible to avoid incarceration if he doesn’t violate probation.

Share on X (Opens in new window)X

Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Facebook

Share using Native toolsShareCopied to clipboard

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,........

© Vice