BTS’ Suga has been arrested by South Korean police for allegedly driving an electric scooter while drunk.
Seoul’s Yongsan Police Station announced on Wednesday local time that Suga, whose real name is Min Yoon-gi, was arrested for violating the Road Traffic Act and questioned following allegations of driving an electric scooter while drunk, local news outlet Newsen reported.
Yonhap reported that police confirmed the 31-year-old BTS rapper’s blood alcohol level was 0.08%, exceeding the legal limit in South Korea.
Suga’s driver’s license was revoked and he was fined less than 200,000 South Korean won ($145), according to the Korea JoongAng Daily.
BTS’ management company Big Hit Music released a statement via the Weverse platform to apologize and detail the incident.
According to the statement, Suga was “intoxicated” while riding his electric scooter home from a restaurant less than a mile from his residence on Tuesday night (local time). He fell to the ground while parking in front of his apartment. Suga was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, the company noted.
After Suga fell, a nearby police officer came to his aid and conducted a breathalyzer test after detecting the smell of alcohol.
Suga was taken to a nearby police station, where he was fined and had his driver’s license revoked.
According to a translation by Soompi, Big Hit stated: “No one was injured and there was no property damage as a result of the incident, and he has been taken home under police custody.”
The record label said Suga, who is currently serving mandatory military service, could face “appropriate disciplinary action from the workplace”.
“We apologize for the disappointment caused by our artist’s inappropriate behavior,” the agency added. “As a public service employee, he will receive appropriate disciplinary action from the workplace for disturbing public order. We will be more careful to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future. Thank you.”
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The BTS member also sent a sincere apology to fans, expressing deep regret and detailing the circumstances leading up to the incident.
“After drinking at a dinner last night, I drove an electric scooter home. I violated the Road Traffic Act because I thought it was a short distance and did not realize that using an electric scooter while drunk is prohibited,” Suga explained.
“Although no victims or facilities were damaged in the process, this is entirely my responsibility without any excuses, and I sincerely apologize to everyone,” he continued. “I apologize to everyone who was hurt by my careless and wrongful actions, and I will be more careful in my actions in the future to prevent such incidents from happening again.”
In addition to having his license revoked and paying a fine, questions remain about the potential consequences for the BTS member as he fulfills his mandatory military service in South Korea.
However, according to the Korea JoongAng Daily, Suga is unlikely to be punished under military law because he is serving as a social service worker.
READ MORE: BTS’ Suga Begins Military Enlistment, Fans Worried About Other Members’ Turns: ‘It’s Shortening My Lifespan!’
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