BTS fans divided over Suga's drunk driving accident

SEOUL – BTS’ loyal fanbase, known as the Army, is deeply divided over Suga’s recent drunk driving offense. While some fans express their disappointment and even call for his departure from the band, others argue that such criticism is exaggerated and that Suga should be given privacy to deal with the situation.

Suga was arrested by police on August 6 for driving an e-scooter while under the influence of alcohol; his blood alcohol content was found to be 0.227 percent, one of the highest levels ever recorded among K-pop singers.

Some fans were deeply disappointed by this news.

“What he did was wrong and there is no excuse for it. But I think he is being overly criticized. Suga is not just an average K-pop idol; he is a global star with immense influence and he knows that better than anyone. It was a reckless act,” a local BTS fan surnamed Han said on Monday.

Some fans have expressed their displeasure even further by sending protest wreaths to Hybe's headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul on Tuesday, demanding that Suga leave the band. The wreaths bore messages such as “Min Yoon-gi, leave,” “Let go of our hands first,” and “Step back before facing the press.”

According to press reports, the protest was not an organized action by the entire fan community, but a spontaneous action by individual fans.

“Everyone sent wreaths independently; this is not a collective action of the fan base. The protest was sparked after Hybe and Big Hit Music (BTS's agency) made a false statement about Suga without taking any remedial action,” a local media outlet quoted an anonymous fan as saying.

International fans have expressed concern for Suga's well-being and are calling for him to be given space to avoid excessive stress.

“I am concerned about Suga's mental and emotional health due to the situations he has brought up related to his past mental health issues, especially given what happened recently with Lee Sun-kyun,” Cassie Stewart, a BTS fan from Connecticut, USA, said on Thursday. Actor Lee was found dead in his car days after a 19-hour police interrogation over alleged drug use.

Mary Lutkus, another BTS supporter in the US, expressed a similar opinion, saying, “There is no doubt that this was a crime, and the legal consequences should be proportionate to the offense. But what is shocking and infuriating is the vitriol and cruelty that the Korean public seems to love to display toward any celebrity who shows that they are a fallible human being.”

Music critic Lim Hee-yun pointed out that local fans' high expectations of K-pop artists are deeply rooted in K-pop culture.

“International fans need to understand that the foundation of K-pop is based on extremely high ethical standards. Without these strict expectations, the unique appeal of K-pop would not exist,” Lim said on Thursday.

Lim also highlighted the unique context of drunk driving in South Korea, especially when prominent figures like BTS are involved.

“In South Korea, there is a particularly strong backlash against drunk driving, as shown by cases such as that of Trot singer Kim Ho-joong. Laws such as the Yoon Chang-ho law show how seriously this problem is taken here.”

“BTS, as artists who have raised the country's profile, are held to a higher ethical standard, even more than Olympic champions. That is why the public reaction is so strong,” Lim added.

The Yoon Chang-ho Law was enacted following a tragic incident in 2018 in which a young man named Yoon Chang-ho died after being hit by a drunk driver.