BTS Suga’s DUI Case: A Full Breakdown
The electric scooter rider captured in JTBC’s “Newsroom”-aired CCTV footage has been claimed to be someone else based on DongA Ilbo‘s exclusive report on BTS Suga’s DUI case. Read the latest developments here.
BTS‘s Suga is under investigation for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) at the Yongsan Police Station. Here’s a full breakdown of what happened between August 6, 2024 (KST), when Suga operated his electric vehicle home, and now, as the latest developments are being reported.
The Initial Report
For the first time on August 7, 2024 (KST), around 11:50 AM, South Korean news outlet Yonhap reported that BTS‘s Suga was being investigated by the Yongsan Police Station for driving while under the influence of alcohol.
BTS’s Suga Under Police Investigation For Drunk Driving A Scooter
This initial report shared basic information about the incident, including that Suga was found “by himself, fallen off the kickboard and on the streets” on the night of August 6, 2024 (KST). The police, who had been patrolling the area, spotted him, approached him to help him up, smelled alcohol on him, and took him to the nearest police station.
In this initial report, Yonhap used the phrase “electric kickboard,” the Korean equivalent of an electric scooter, to identify the mobile vehicle that was operated.
Based on this language, it was assumed that the electric kickboard in question looked like this:
It was noted that in South Korea, electric kickboards are available for rent or permitted for operation with a driver’s license. Given their dangerous qualities, their use is closely monitored, and riders are expected to follow traffic laws applicable to car drivers.
The Follow-Up Reports
Following the initial report, another South Korean news outlet, Newsis, shared the latest updates from the police investigating the case: The results of Suga’s breathalyzer test performed.
BTS’s Suga Could Have His License Revoked, According To The Police
Although the Newsis report did not specify the exact percentage, it highlighted the fact that the police reported Suga’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level had “passed 0.08%” at the time of the test—meaning his driver’s license could be revoked.
One of the earliest reports from The JoongAng mentioned Suga’s statement given to the Yongsan Police Station. According to it, Suga talked about knee pain and testified that he had “only driven for a short while after having one glass of beer.”
The First Official Statements
Within hours following the two reports, BIGHIT MUSIC released an official statement about the investigation.
BigHit Music Releases Official Statement To Address BTS Suga’s Drunk Driving Incident
In the statement, posted on BTS’s official community board, BIGHIT MUSIC apologized for the member’s operation of an electric kickboard under the influence of alcohol and claimed that Suga had his license revoked and was fined.
Hello, this is BIGHIT MUSIC. We apologize for the matter of BTS’s member Suga driving home on an electric kickboard while drunk. On the night of August 6, Suga used a helmet while driving an electric kickboard home after drinking. He had driven around 500m before he parked and fell down. Through a police officer who had been nearby, a breathalyzer test was conducted, and as per the results, Suga’s license was revoked, and he was fined. No casualties occurred through the incident; neither was any property damaged. He was escorted home by the police.
We apologize for the disappointment caused by our artist’s inappropriate action. As a public service officer, Suga conducted himself in a manner that caused rife in society, and thus, he plans on duly facing the appropriate consequences from his workplace. We will be even more cautious to prevent similar matters from occurring in the future. Thank you.
— BIGHIT MUSIC
Suga then took to Weverse and penned a personal message to the fans, also apologizing for his operation of an electric kickboard under the influence of alcohol.
In this message, Suga claimed that he was unaware that the traffic laws governing cars applied to electric kickboards. He also stated that he had lost his license and been fined.
Hello, this is Suga. I’m feeling extremely heavy-hearted and sorry to have to come to you over such a disappointing matter.
I rode an electric kickboard home last night, after having drinks with dinner. I thought that it was a close distance, and I did not realize that I could not operate an electric kickboard after drinking. As such, I violated traffic rules. I parked in front of the main gates to my home, and in that process, I fell over by myself. Police was nearby, and through the results of a breathalyzer test, my license was revoked and I paid a fine. Although no one was hurt, and no property was damaged, this is inexcusably something I have to take responsibility for, and I apologize to everyone.
I apologize to those who were hurt by my irresponsible and inappropriate behavior, and I will be even more careful with my actions to prevent such matters from occurring in the future.
— Suga
At this point, the apologies from both BIGHIT MUSIC and Suga sparked an intense reaction from the BTS fandom. Many ARMYs within Korea condemned the member for his “self-serving” apology, while many international ARMYs questioned the true severity of the case.
The First Detail That Escalated The Case
Later, on the afternoon of August 7, Star News reported on a conversation with the Yongsan Police Station.
In this report, it was revealed that the mobile vehicle Suga operated under the influence of alcohol was not an electric kickboard but an “electric scooter with a seat,” or the Korean equivalent of a simpler scooter bike.
It was a model with a seat. It would be more appropriate to describe it as an electric scooter.
— Yongsan Police Station
The classification of the mobile vehicle, whether it was an electric kickboard (with or without seat) or an electric scooter, became a crucial difference to the case as the police described that DUI penalties would differ depending on what was driven.
According to the South Korean law, there are two possibilities. If Suga’s mobile vehicle ends up being classified as a device with an internal engine, it will be treated the same as a drunk driving incident involving a car, and will be handled using the governing traffic law. His driver’s license will be revoked, and he could also end up being charged and punishable by law, in accordance with the traffic rule violations for cars. On the other hand, if his device is investigated and classified as a variation of an electric kickboard, the case will end with him facing a fine of ₩100,000 KRW (about $72.80 USD) with his driver’s license getting revoked.
— Hankook Ilbo
It was also at this point that the Yongsan Police Station clarified Suga had not been fined or had his driver’s license revoked yet—contradicting BIGHIT MUSIC and Suga’s first round of apologies. According to the police, the investigation was still ongoing.
Currently, no fine has been imposed yet, and the process for revoking his driver’s license is still underway. There are currently no plans for additional summons or investigation of Suga, but since it involves drunk driving on a scooter, the investigation into whether a violation of the Road Traffic Act applies will continue. If the investigation concludes that there was DUI on an electric scooter, it is highly unlikely that the case will close with a simple fine.
— Yongsan Police Station to Star News
The CCTV Footage
The backlash following these revelations was fierce. BIGHIT MUSIC and Suga were both accused of “lying” and “minimizing” the situation.
At the same time, some ARMYs accused the Yongsan Police Station of putting Suga through “unfair punishment” for being a well-known K-Pop star. According to Hankook Ilbo, however, the police officers who first spotted Suga falling off his electric scooter “did not recognize Suga as a member of the globally famous group BTS at the time of the incident,” undermining the argument that his celebrity status influenced the handling of the case.
Is BTS’s Suga Facing Unfair Punishment As A Celebrity? Key DUI Details Suggest Not
At the time of the incident, none of the officers who responded to the scene realized that the electric scooter driver was a BTS member.
— Yongsan Police Station to Hankook Ilbo
Amid the commotion, JTBC‘s Newsroom aired the CCTV footage capturing Suga driving the electric scooter down Hannam-daero, a multi-lane street connecting Yongsan.
The footage helped with more understanding of what Suga’s “electric scooter” in question looked like:
*Update: JTBC has since removed this original video footage from YouTube and replaced it with the new footage released by DongA Ilbo.
The Office of Military Manpower Administration
As more details were provided, a new question was posed: What will happen to Suga’s enlistment status?
Around 9 PM of August 7, Chosun Ilbo reported that the South Korean Office of Military Manpower Administration made a decision not to hold Suga responsible for an “incident [that] occurred outside of his working hours,” at least at his current workplace.
He is not subject to punishment for damaging the military’s image due to the fact that the incident occurred outside of his working hours.
— Office of Military Manpower Administration
On August 23, however, Chosun Ilbo reported that Korea’s Military Manpower Administration will be launching an investigation into Suga’s time as a social worker. According to the report, the office will investigate whether Suga received any preferential treatment while working as a social worker and whether there have been any violations. Previously, a civic group publicly demanded that Suga be investigated amid his ongoing DUI scandal.
BTS’s Suga Facing Investigation By Korea’s Military Amid Fallout From DUI Scandal
We demand that Suga be investigated for his work as a social worker and that there be strict punishment in the case that the investigation finds any infractions. Suga drove while under the influence despite the fact that he has a responsibilty to serve as a social worker. It is hard not to believe that Suga could not fulfill his responsibility after drinking and that there wasn’t any preferrential treatment.
— Civic group
The Second Official Statement
Around midnight on August 8, 2024 (KST), amid intense criticism over the behavior captured in the CCTV footage, BIGHIT MUSIC issued another statement to apologize for their previous oversight. The label insisted that there was no intention to “downplay” the incident.
Hello. This is BIGHIT MUSIC. This is an additional statement about BTS’s member Suga.
Firstly, we sincerely apologize yet again for disappointing everyone with the irresponsible incident. We were unable to carefully review various aspects of it and put out a statement in a rush, causing confusion.
1) Regarding the use of the term “kickboard”
We initially used the term “electric kickboard” as we assumed the vehicle in question to be a kickboard that had a seat attached to it. In the process of checking, we realized that the classification for the vehicle differed according to its abilities and specifications. We also understood that the spectrum of repercussions for DUIs involving the vehicles would differ as such. We had no intentions of downplaying the incident, as we have been accused of doing. We do, however, apologize for having rushed to put out a statement without carefully examining the facts. From now on, we plan on diligently taking responsibility, according to the vehicle classification as determined by the investigative officers.
2) Regarding the fine and the revoking of his license
On August 6, after Suga underwent the breathalyzer test, he went home immediately. We were unable to register the fact that there were remaining steps to the investigative process, and we wrongly believed that the case had been concluded. As we realize the severity of the case, we are sorry for having included incorrect information in our statements due to the mistakes made in internal communication.
More so, we apologize for failing to set a good example during the time of service in the military and for causing an irresponsible incident. We are sincerely sorry to the fans who have been disappointed as well.
From now on, we will diligently cooperate in any additional investigation as requested by the police, and we will accept the results of the investigations.
— BIGHIT MUSIC
The Earliest Developments
As of 2 PM on August 9, 2024 (KST), in an exclusive statement to Dispatch, an official from the Yongsan Police Station stated that Suga’s electric scooter was not to be considered a “Personal Mobility” (PM) device. Instead, it had been classified as a “motorized bicycle.”
A PM device is classified as a device that moves an individual at a maximum speed of 25 kilometers per hour and weighs under 30 kilograms. While many electric scooters are classified as personal mobility devices, the vehicle Suga was operating has been classified as a “motorized bicycle,” or the Korean equivalent of an e-bike. In Korea, the operation of an e-bike is governed the same as the operation of a car.
After investigating the device, we have found that [Suga’s electric scooter model] is not included in the PM device list.
— Yongsan Police Station to Dispatch
That given, Suga will face criminal investigation akin to a DUI of an automobile.
Police Confirm BTS’s Suga Will Face Criminal Investigation Akin To Driving A Car While Drunk
The [electric] scooter made by ‘E’ brand can reach a maximum speed of 30 km/hr and is a foldable model that does not allow for the attachment or detachment of the seat. The motor has a maximum output of 1.2 kW (kilowatts), which falls under the category of a 125cc or less engine displacement according to traffic laws, and is classified as a ‘motorized bicycle’ among electric scooters.
— The JoongAng
Later in the evening on August 9, 2024 (KST), a DongA Ilbo exclusive report revealed Suga’s BAC level was about eight times higher than the legal limit. According to the report, when the Yongsan Police Station tested Suga’s BAC, it was at 0.227%—over seven times Korea’s legal limit of 0.03%.
Note that actress Kim Sae Ron was reported to have been tested for a BAC level of 0.2% when she made headlines with her DUI case in 2022.
Neither BIGHIT MUSIC nor Suga has commented on this newest piece of information revealed to the public. As for the investigation, Yongsan Police Station has not since commented on whether Suga’s driver’s license has been or will be revoked. Should it get revoked, Suga would be unable to reacquire it for one year.
Real CCTV Footage of Suga’s DUI Revealed
On August 14, 2024 (KST), DongA Ilbo published an exclusive report with new CCTV footage they received through a tip-off. According to TV Daily, BIGHIT MUSIC has confirmed that the man in this CCTV footage is Suga.
In the CCTV that was obtained, Suga can be seen riding his electric scooter on the sidewalk. Around 11:10 PM on August 6, three policemen who had been patrolling the area around Nine One Hannam passed by the front gates of the apartment complex where Suga had fallen as he lost balance while trying to make a turn inside the gates. The police picked up his fallen helmet and approached him to give it back. In this process, they confirmed that he had been drinking, and did a test on him in real time.
JTBC turned the previous Newsroom video private on their YouTube channel and re-uploaded the same news segment using the new CCTV footage, triggering immense frustration from the general public.
JTBC Engulfed In Scandal As Fake CCTV Footage Continues To Fuel BTS Suga Backlash
Amid the growing backlash, JTBC admitted that the footage they originally aired was not of Suga. The news outlet has since aired an official apology.
JTBC Officially Apologizes For CCTV Misreport Regarding BTS Suga’s DUI
The latest footage of Suga’s DUI was aired by Yonhap News on August 23.
Suga Arrives for His Investigation Summons
On August 23, Suga arrived at Yongsan Police Station for his investigation summons at around 7:45 p.m., after concluding his public service duties for the day. According to a report by SBS, the investigation lasted about three hours. Before entering the precinct, Suga gave a brief statement to the media.
Firstly, I am very sorry. I am truly reflecting on having hugely disappointed many fans and many people. I will diligently undergo the investigations. Once again, I am sorry.
— Suga
Newsis reported that Suga was accompanied by “Lawyer A” from a reputable law firm. This former prosecutor-turned-lawyer is known for handling many of the criminal cases involving entertainment industry figures—including DUIs of high-profile personalities like former Super Junior member Kangin.
On August 26, TV Chosun reported that the police investigations into Suga’s DUI case have concluded. According to this report, Yongsan Police is expecting to forward Suga’s case to prosecutors this week.
Police Releases Latest Update On BTS Suga’s Drunk Driving Case
Stay tuned for updates.
