Netizens Enraged As More Details Come to Light About Suga's Drunk Driving Incident, BIGHIT Music Apologizes

A day after BTS' Suga and BIGHIT Music apologized for the rapper's drunk driving incident involving what was first described as an electric kickboard, the agency has once again released an official statement, this time issuing corrections and apologizing once again.

BIGHIT Music said, "We concluded that the product used by the artist was a kickboard with a saddle, and described it as an 'electric kickboard.' During further verification, we recognized that the classification may vary depending on the performance and specifications of the product, and that the scope of responsibility for the accident may also vary. As some have said, there was no intention to reduce the issue at all. We apologize again for not being able to examine it more closely and for the haste that resulted. When the investigative agency decides to classify the product in the future, we will faithfully fulfill our responsibilities accordingly."

The agency added, "On the 6th, the artist was returned home immediately after responding to a police sobriety test at the scene. Both the company and the artist did not understand that future proceedings remained and mistakenly perceived the matter as closed. In light of the seriousness of the matter, we apologize for the misinformation due to an internal communication error. Above all, we bow down and apologize to both the artist and the company for not showing exemplary behavior during the period of fulfilling their military service obligations and causing unpleasant things. We are also sincerely sorry for the fans who must have been disappointed."

BIGHIT's new statement comes after South Korean news outlets released CCTV footage of the BTS member moments before the incident. The police also confirmed that Suga rode an electric scooter, which is considered a vehicle under the Road Traffic Act, so driving while drunk is subject to criminal punishment.

According to JTBC news, Suga's blood alcohol level was confirmed to be 0.08% or higher. Unlike kickboards, which are only subject to a fine, scooters can be subject to separate punishments of 1 to 2 years in prison or a fine of 5 to 10 million won.

Meanwhile, as more details come to light about the incident, netizens have expressed outrage all over local online communities. One of them pointed out, "Didn't Suga do public service (social service worker) because he hurt his shoulder in a motorcycle accident?", "The more I think about it, the angrier I get," and "What was he thinking?"

Update as of August 9, 2024:

According to the latest coverage of Dispatch Korea, when the incident happened, it is said that a police officer found Suga after he had fallen while parking his scooter. Following this, during the prosecution process, the rapper's alcohol consumption was checked through a breathalyzer. The results showed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.227%. This figure far exceeds the standard for license revocation (0.08%) and the sentencing weighting standard (0.2%).

The police plan to continue their investigation. They are comprehensively looking into the circumstances of the drunk driving, the distance, and the extent of the damage. The summons for questioning of Suga has not yet been decided.

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