BTS member apologizes for drunken e-scooter incident

SEOUL:

SUGA, 31, a member of K-pop megagroup BTS, was found by police late on the evening of August 6 lying on the ground next to his e-scooter with a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit.

Wearing a black suit, SUGA bowed to reporters outside the police station in Seoul's Yongsan district. “I'm sorry, I'm very sorry. I sincerely think about having disappointed many fans and people. I will fully cooperate with the investigation. I'm sorry again,” he said before entering the station. He did not answer reporters' questions about the details of the case.

The singer, who is currently serving his military service as a social worker, has already had his driving license revoked and has been fined, but has yet to answer police questions because, according to officers, he was too drunk to answer at the time of the incident.

SUGA has admitted to driving while drunk and has apologized to his fans on social media. Experts told AFP that the punishment will depend on what type of e-scooter he was riding. If he was riding a sophisticated e-scooter and not a simple kickboard, SUGA “could be punished for violating the road traffic regulations,” said lawyer Cha Hong-soon.

BTS fans – commonly known as ARMY – are divided over the controversy. “I liked BTS because of Yoongi (SUGA's Korean name) and now I just can't stop crying,” said BTS fan Park Soo-hee. “People say you should never love an idol who appears in the police report or the 9 o'clock news, and I'm just really disappointed in him.”

The seven members of the world's most popular boy band have been on a self-proclaimed “break” since 2022 because they have to do their military service. Due to tensions with the nuclear power North Korea, South Korea requires this of all men under the age of 30.