WINNER's Song Min-ho posts handwritten apology after suspended sentence for 102-day military absence

Sentence first, apology eight days later

Song Min-ho posted a handwritten apology to social media on October 9. It was his first public statement since Seoul Western District Court Criminal Division 10 handed down its verdict on the 1st. Judge Sung Jun-gyu sentenced him to one year in prison, suspended for two years, on charges of violating the Military Service Act.

The post marked his first SNS activity in approximately 3 years and 7 months. His last post came on March 23, 2023.

What the court found

From March 2023 to December 2024, Song Min-ho worked as a social service worker at the Seoul Mapo-gu Facilities Management Corporation. He was absent from his post for 102 days without legitimate reason. Prosecutors sought a sentence of one year and six months. The court acknowledged the extended absence but factored in his admission of the charges, his reflective attitude, and his health condition when arriving at the lighter sentence.

The apology

In the handwritten letter, Song Min-ho wrote: "I sincerely apologize with my head bowed for causing concern to many people."

He addressed the delay directly. He should have spoken sooner, he wrote, but it had become too late. He apologized for making people wait. Young people currently serving in the military and his fans bore the weight of his regret most heavily.

"I am ashamed and resentful of my past choices that lacked responsibility."

Moving forward, he committed to carrying out his remaining procedures and obligations faithfully. He said he would keep the incident in his heart and live with greater responsibility going forward. The gap between what prosecutors asked for (one year and six months) and what the court gave (one year, suspended) reflects how much those mitigating factors mattered.