Winner’s Mino Attends Best Friend’s Movie Premiere Amid Military Controversy—Both Criticized for Similar Behavior
WINNER’s Mino faces backlash for attending movie premiere amid military service trial delay
WINNER’s Mino showed up at the VIP premiere of the Korean movie Method Acting on March 13 at Megabox COEX, Seoul. He was invited by his close friend and actor Lee Dong Hwi, who stars in the film.
The appearance is raising eyebrows because Mino’s military service trial was recently postponed by a month. The Seoul Western District Court rescheduled the first hearing from March 24 to April 21 after Mino’s legal team requested the delay.
Mino and a facility manager, Mr. Lee, are accused of violating the Military Service Act. Prosecutors say Mino missed 102 out of 430 working days and neglected his public service duties at a facility in Mapo District from March 2023 to December 2024.
“…seeing him go to a premiere after pushing his trial back by a month is just absurd.” — netizen, theqoo
Fans and netizens slammed the timing of his theater attendance. Many called out Lee Dong Hwi for inviting him and Mino for going despite the ongoing case. Comments on Korean forums included:
“True besties I see. LMAO.”
“Both Lee Dong Hwi for inviting and Mino for actually going prove they’re just birds of a feather.”
“I’m a WINNER fan, and honestly I already lost all my affection for him, but seeing him go to a premiere after pushing his trial back by a month is just absurd. And the worst part of it all is the fact that he still hasn’t cut his hair.”
At first, Mino denied the charges but later admitted most of the facts after evidence showed he went out during times he was supposed to be working.
The controversy heats up as Mino prepares for his court date.
