BTS member Suga — AKA Min Yoongi — has found himself in some hot water, receiving a fine after drunk driving a scooter on Tuesday, Aug. 6 in his hometown of Seoul, South Korea.
BTS’ label, Big Hit, first broke the news on Wednesday, Aug. 7, apologizing to BTS fans all across the globe on Suga’s behalf. “We apologize for the disappointment caused by our artist’s inappropriate behaviour. As a public service worker, he will receive appropriate disciplinary action from his workplace for causing public disturbance. We will take greater care to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future. Thank you,” the label wrote.
Mere hours later, the K-pop star spoke out about the situation, admitting that he is “very heavy-hearted and sorry” for his careless mistake. Taking to Weverse the day after the incident, Suga shared with his supporters, “I was given a breathalyzer test and subsequently had my license revoked and was fined… Although no one was harmed and no property was damaged, this is entirely my responsibility with no excuses.”
He continued to take accountability, telling BTS fans all across the world, “I apologize to those who have been hurt by my carelessness and wrongful behaviour, and I will ensure that this does not happen again in the future.”
As for what the incident actually entailed, according to Reuters, Suga drunk drove the scooter for 1,640 feet before a police officer saw him fall off of the vehicle, right outside of his home. Approaching the D-DAY artist after his apparent injury, the police officer found Suga’s blood alcohol to be 0.08%, ultimately violating the Road Traffic Act and receiving a fine. In South Korea, citizens are required to have a license to drive electric vehicles.
What happened to SUGA’s CCTV video?
On top of this already overblown situation, SUGA’s alleged DUI incident was further escalated by the sharing of fake CCTV footage by several K-media outlets, including JTBC and Yonhap News, two major news sources in South Korea. These false reports spread across the country, further tarnishing the rapper’s reputation amidst an already exaggerated and sensationalized situation.
The real CCTV footage of SUGA’s fall was later shared by TV Chosun, showing the singer driving the scooter on the sidewalk. Contrary to several reports, he was not exceeding the speed limit for such vehicles. The video also captures the fall, showing his wheel getting stuck, causing SUGA to lose balance and fall with the scooter.
Several fans have since shared that a number of South Korean media outlets have previously reported false information about the group, including JTBC — the first to report the fake CCTV footage. In 2019, this K-media outlet allegedly claimed that BTS members were considering taking legal action against their agency, Big Hit Entertainment, over profit division issues. That allegation was later proven false, stemming from unethical news sourcing, including trespassing.
Big Hit, BTS’ agency, later demanded a public apology from the news channel, which they provided. In their live television apology, the outlet acknowledged filming without permission, but did not apologize for trespassing, violating the premises, or for infringing on BTS’ privacy. Many fans believe this controversy was carelessly generated, possibly with an agenda for defamation.
Neither BTS, BigHit Entertainment, nor SUGA himself have addressed the issue of the fake reports and the false CCTV footage. With the singer currently undergoing compulsory military service, his activities and content as a celebrity are limited due to regulations that prevent him from profiting from any work outside of his public service. Hopefully, the singer will seek justice and soon put this situation behind him.