Song Min-ho of idol group Winner appears as a witness at the trial of Lee, the supervisor charged with violating the Military Service Act, held at Seoul Western District Court in Mapo-gu, Seoul, in July. [Yonhap]
Song Min-ho of idol group Winner appears as a witness at the trial of Lee, the supervisor charged with violating the Military Service Act, held at Seoul Western District Court in Mapo-gu, Seoul, in July. [Yonhap]

Prosecutors have sought a one-year prison sentence for the supervisor who managed the alternative military service of Song Min-ho, 33, a member of idol group Winner, who is accused of going absent without leave for an extended period during his service.

Prosecutors made the request Thursday at the closing arguments hearing for the supervisor, identified only by the surname Lee, before Judge Seong Jun-gyu of Seoul Western District Court's Criminal Division 10.

Prosecutors said the court should consider that Lee "played an essential role in enabling Song to be absent without leave for an extended period and took active steps to avoid detection by oversight agencies."

Lee was affiliated with the Mapo-gu Facilities Management Corporation in Seoul, where Song served as a social service worker, and was responsible for overseeing Song's service at the time.

In his final statement, Lee said it was true that "I felt a great sense of responsibility and pressure working as Song's supervisor." He asked the court for a suspended sentence, saying he wanted "one last chance to serve the nation and society more faithfully for the remainder of my service."

He added that if given the opportunity, he would "work more responsibly in society, in accordance with regulations and principles."

Song is accused of going absent without leave for more than 100 days during his time as a social service worker at the Mapo-gu Facilities Management Corporation from March 2023 to December of the following year.

Song appeared as a witness at Lee's trial on July 14 and admitted that he had taken unauthorized absences with Lee's tacit approval, later processing them as if he had applied for leave in advance.

Earlier, prosecutors sought a sentence of one year and six months at Song's own trial in April, saying he "did not perform substantive duties due to prolonged unauthorized absences and appears to have falsely accounted for his attendance to oversight agencies."

Sentencing for both Song and Lee is scheduled for Oct. 1 at 10 a.m.


quq@heraldcorp.com