BTS fans sign petition to support Suga after drunk driving incident

BTS's Suga was in the media spotlight following a drunken incident last month, but his fans let him know their continued support by signing a global petition.

A group of BTS fans from all over the world shared their message on all social media platforms on Monday. Previously, online commentators had declared over the weekend that Suga should leave BTS.

“The Global ARMY Alliance supports all seven members of BTS,” they wrote. The Global ARMY Union represents 127 groups of BTS fans in South Korea and elsewhere abroad, and makes it clear that it supports all seven members of BTS.

The incident occurred on August 6 in Seoul when Suga fell off an electric scooter. He was questioned by police and his driver's license was revoked. Police later revealed that his blood alcohol content was 0.227, which is three times the level at which a driver's license is usually revoked in South Korea. Any reading above 0.2 can often result in a prison sentence and a hefty fine.

Suga was the first to share the news with his fans, posting on fan platform Weverse. “I bow and apologize to those who were hurt by my negligence and wrongdoing,” he said the day after the incident. However, his apology and the lack of harm caused by the incident did not prevent a media frenzy in South Korea that included a lot of misinformation about the incident and a national outrage over the supposedly lenient sentence for the star. Lawmakers even went so far as to submit a petition to change the laws surrounding scooters, which would make the handling of such devices the same as that of a car.

In response, Suga released another apology on August 24: “Through this incident, I have greatly damaged the precious memories I created with the members and fans and put a lot of pressure on BTS's name. I am so sorry and hurt that it is hard to put into words because of the harm it causes to the members and the team. I am sorry that the members who have always trusted me are going through a difficult time because of me,” he posted on Weverse.