P.O of the Republic of Korea Marine Corps stands out even more due to Song Min-ho's unauthorized absence

As WINNER's Song Min-ho was sentenced to a suspended prison term for violating the Military Service Act, the military service process of P.O, who is known as his close friend in the entertainment industry, is drawing renewed attention. Although the two have built a long friendship within the same entertainment industry, they have walked significantly different trajectories in how they approached their military service obligations. In particular, P.O is being revisited as a case of someone who finally succeeded in his application for the Republic of Korea Marine Corps after experiencing several setbacks.

On the 1st, the Seoul Western District Court sentenced Song Min-ho, who was indicted on charges including violation of the Military Service Act, to one year in prison with a two-year suspended sentence. Song Min-ho was brought to trial on charges of leaving his workplace for 102 days without justifiable reason during his service as a social service agent. With the court's decision, the issue has moved beyond a simple individual deviation to the center of debate regarding the attitude of celebrities toward military service obligations and public responsibility.

In this context, P.O's military service history has been summoned as a contrasting case. P.O did not stop at choosing active duty; he personally set the relatively intense military service of the Republic of Korea Marine Corps as his goal. Despite receiving a Grade 1 rating in the physical examination, he failed to enlist in the Republic of Korea Marine Corps three times due to issues such as high school attendance days caused by entertainment activities, but he did not give up. He later applied to the Republic of Korea Marine Corps Headquarters military band and enlisted on his fourth attempt.

For P.O, military service was not merely a gap to be passed between entertainment activities. He explained his reason for enlisting by stating that his late mother had hoped he would enlist and serve honorably. In his statement about continuing to challenge himself from age 27 to 29, one can simultaneously read his personal will regarding military service and his memories of his family. It is a point where the image of a star consumed by the public intersects with the duty an individual must fulfill.

Enlisting in the Republic of Korea Marine Corps military band in 2022, P.O completed his service after approximately 1 year and 6 months. During his service, he participated in various national events, and after his discharge, he shared his reflections, stating that the military life was "a time that allowed me to gain belief in myself." He explained that the experience of assuming certain discipline and responsibility within the military organization brought about a change in his self-perception.

The military service issue of celebrities has been a recurring social issue in Korean popular culture for a long time. Unlike general professional choices, military service has the nature of a legal obligation, and in the case of famous people, there is a specificity where public trust and image are linked to economic value. This is why there have been many past cases where controversies over evading military service or receiving preferential treatment during service escalated into the suspension of celebrity activities, termination of advertising contracts, and social criticism. Conversely, there were cases where the sincere service process was positively received by the public, influencing image formation.

Ultimately, the reason P.O's case is being mentioned again is not to simply compare the personalities or lives of the two individuals, but rather to show how different evaluations can arise from the choices and results surrounding the same social obligation of military service. Especially since celebrities are in a profession where the boundary between private life and public image is blurred, social trust, as well as legal responsibility, serves as an important foundation for their activities.

Song Min-ho and P.O, known to be close friends since their high school days, have been noted as representative friendships in the entertainment industry for a long time. However, with this ruling for Song Min-ho, the military service histories of the two are being compared again, and the process of P.O enlisting in the Republic of Korea Marine Corps after four attempts is being re-examined. Ultimately, the question posed by this controversy is closer to what military service means to famous people who are required to hold public responsibility, rather than a simple comparison of who is better.