Winner member faces 18 months over unauthorized absences
Prosecutors have sought a one-year prison term for a supervisor accused of helping Song Min-ho, a member of boy group Winner, make unauthorized absences while serving as a social service agent.
The request was made Thursday during the closing hearing for a supervisor surnamed Lee at the Seoul Western District Court.
They said Lee "played an essential role in allowing Song to be absent without leave for an extended period and actively took measures to prevent the supervisory authorities from discovering it."
In his final statement, Lee asked the court for a suspended sentence, saying he wanted "one last chance" to serve society more faithfully.
Lee worked for the Mapo-gu Facilities Management Corporation in Seoul, which is where Song carried out his alternative military service.
Song is currently accused of leaving his assigned workplace without authorization for more than 100 days while serving as a social service agent there from March 2023 to December 2024.
Appearing as a witness at Lee's trial on July 14, Song admitted that he had taken unauthorized absences with Lee's tacit approval and made it appear as though he had applied for leave in advance.
Prosecutors in April sought an 18-month prison sentence for Song, saying he had effectively failed to perform his duties through prolonged unauthorized absences and falsely reported his attendance records.
The court is scheduled to sentence both Song and Lee at 10 a.m. on Oct. 1.
shwang9@heraldcorp.com