SEOUL – Suga, a member of the K-pop supergroup BTS, was questioned by police on Friday regarding allegations of drunk driving on an electric scooter, to which he publicly apologized.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Suga, legally known as Min Yoon-ki, arrived at the Yongsan Police Station at approximately 7:45 p.m., 17 days after the incident near his residence where he was caught attempting to ride the scooter while under the influence of alcohol. “First of all, I am truly sorry,” said the 31-year-old, expressing remorse before the media as he entered the police station. He committed to fully cooperating with the police investigation, stating, “I sincerely regret and am reflecting on the fact that I have caused great disappointment to many of my fans and the public.”
The questioning, which lasted about three hours, focused on the circumstances leading to Suga’s decision to ride the scooter while intoxicated and whether there was an attempt to minimize the severity of the incident. Police disclosed that Suga’s blood alcohol concentration was measured at 0.227 percent, significantly above the 0.08 percent threshold that typically warrants license cancellation.
Big Hit Music, the agency managing BTS, faced criticism for initially mischaracterizing the electric scooter as a “kickboard,” a term that would suggest different legal repercussions under South Korean law. Under current regulations, electric scooter violations can lead to criminal penalties, whereas kickboards do not incur such severe consequences.
Suga has been serving as a social service agent, an alternative to traditional military service, since March. He is scheduled for discharge in June of the following year.