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Manila Bulletin devider Entertainment devider Music and Concerts devider Big Hit Music issues second apology to clarify details on BTS Suga's DUI incident

Big Hit Music issues second apology to clarify details on BTS Suga's DUI incident

Published Aug 8, 2024 04:00 am

Big Hit Music, the agency of BTS, issued a second apology over details regarding Suga’s drunk driving incident on Aug. 6, denying that it downplayed what happened.  

The  Seoul Yongsan Police Station booked Suga for drunk driving in violation of Korea’s Road Traffic Act. 

Suga, who is currently fulfilling his military service as a social worker, fell off while driving an electric scooter and the person who found him said he smelled of alcohol. He took a breathalyzer test, which revealed that his blood alcohol concentration was 0.08 percent, enough to have his driver’s license revoked. 

Suga2.jpegBTS' Suga (Instagram)

On Aug. 7, Suga posted an apology on the Weverse app.  

“I rode an electric kickboard home after drinking at dinner last night. I violated the road traffic laws because I thought it was a short distance and did not realize that I could not use an electric kickboard after drinking,” he said. 

He added that he fell down alone while stopping his electric kickboard at the front gate of his house. 

A police officer was nearby and through a breathalyzer test, his license was revoked and was fined. 

“No one was harmed or any facilities were damaged during this process, but it is my responsibility and I have no excuses, so I bow my head and apologize to everyone,” he said. 

He added, “I apologize to everyone who was hurt by my careless and wrongful actions, and I will be more careful in my actions so that this does not happen again in the future.”

In the second apology, Big Hit Music said, “First, we would like to once again deeply apologize for disappointing many people due to this unfortunate incident. We would also like to apologize for hastily releasing our statement without being able to thoroughly examine the circumstances and causing confusion.”

About using term “electric kickboard,” the agency said, “We judged the product used by the artist to be a kickboard with a saddle and explained it as an 'electric kickboard.’” 

“During the additional verification process, we realized that the classification may vary depending on the performance and specifications of the product, and the scope of responsibility for the accident may also vary,” it said. 

Saying that “we had no intention of downplaying the matter,” Big Hit Music said, “We apologize again for not being able to examine it more closely and speaking hastily as a result. We will faithfully fulfill our responsibilities once the investigative agency's classification of the product in question is determined.”

Regarding Suga’s statement that his license was revoked and that he was fined for the offense, the agency said, “On Aug. 6, the artist was immediately returned home after taking a police breathalyzer test on the spot.”

“Both the company and the artist did not realize that there were still procedures to follow and mistakenly believed that the matter was closed. Given the seriousness of the matter, we apologize for delivering incorrect information due to an internal communication error,” it explained. 

Big Hit Music added, “Above all, the artist and the company bow their heads in apology for not being able to set an exemplary example during the period of fulfilling their military service and for causing an unpleasant incident. We also sincerely apologize to the fans who were disappointed. We will faithfully cooperate with the police's additional investigation in the future and humbly accept the results of the investigation.”

Under Korea’s law, electric kickboards are classified as personal mobility devices while electric scooters are not. 

Korean media reported that the police said Suga’s vehicle had a saddle, classified as an electric scooter and not an electric kickboard. The two have different penalties. 

No separate disciplinary action vs Suga

Meanwhile, Korea’s  Military Manpower Administration (MMA), which supervises military service, stated that Suga will not face a separate disciplinary action because of his DUI incident as he was not on duty when it happened. 

"The social service worker in question was caught driving while intoxicated after work hours, and will be punished in accordance with the Road Traffic Act and other related laws,” it said. 

Suga enlisted on Sept. 22 last year and will be discharged on June 21, 2025. 

Update: Korean media outlet JTBC News made private a video it uploaded on YouTube containing CCTV footage that claimed it was Suga driving on a road. 

On Aug. 14, several Korean media outlets reported that the person in the JTBC video was not Suga. 

JTBC has not revealed its position on the matter.  

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