BTS’ Suga Fined $11,500 Over Drunk Scootering Incident
BTS‘ Suga has reached a resolution in his drunk scootering incident. According to Reuters, the K-pop superstar was fined 15 million won ($11,500) by a South Korean court for driving an electric scooter while intoxicated after previously having his license suspended over the incident.
A judge in the Seoul Western District Court issued the fine in a summary judgement last week after the case against the singer born Min Yoon-gi, 31, was referred to the prosecution, a court official revealed on Monday (Sept. 30). A summary indictment is used to discharge minor offenses through court fines or confiscation without going to a full trial. The singer was questioned by police after they reportedly observed him falling off his electric scooter in the Hannam neighborhood in the Yongsan district on August 6.
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Days after the DWI stop, Suga confirmed that his license had been revoked and posted a pair of heartfelt apologies on Weverse, explaining that at first he didn’t realize he couldn’t ride the electric two-wheeled scooter after having drinks at dinner earlier in the evening. “In the process of setting up an electric kickboard at the front door of the house, I fell alone, and there was a police officer around me, so I took a breath test,” he wrote in the Aug. 7 post, apologizing to “everyone who was hurt by [his] careless and wrong actions.”
BTS’ record label, BigHit, also issued a statement, apologizing “for the disappointment caused by the artist’s inappropriate behavior.” “As a social service agent during his military service, he is prepared to accept any disciplinary actions from his place of work for causing a social disturbance,” the label added. “We will take greater care to ensure that such incidents do not happen again in the future.”
In a second apology later in the month, Suga took responsibility for his actions again, writing to fans, “It’s all my fault. My carelessness is giving everyone who cares about me a hard time. I will try not to do anything wrong again and live with repentance. Due to this incident, I have greatly damaged the precious memories I made with the members and fans and put a lot of pressure on the name of the BTS.”
At press time a spokesperson for Suga had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment.
BTS have been on hiatus for two years as the members complete their mandatory South Korean military service and according to AFP, Seoul’s Military Manpower Administration said that Suga will be punished according to traffic laws, not military law, because the incident took place outside of the singer’s official military working hours.
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