BTS Member Suga Breaks Silence Over Drink-Driving Incident

BTS boy band member Suga, born Min Yoon-gi, has apologized after receiving a fine while driving a scooter under the iNFLuence of alcohol in the late hours of Tuesday.

In a post shared on Weverse—a fan platform owned by K-pop firm HYBE—the 31-year-old music sensation said he was "very heavy-hearted and sorry" for disappointing his global faNBAse. 

Suga rode the scooter for 500 m (1,640 ft), per Reuters, before a police officer saw him fall off the vehicle  outside his home in Hannam-dong, an affluent neighborhood in the South Korean capital of Seoul. In his post, Suga said he thought the journey was a short distance and he was unaware that citizens can not operate an electric scooter while drunk.

"I was given a breathalyser test and subsequently had my license revoked and was fined," the musician said. "Although no one was harmed and no property was damaged, this is entirely my responsibility with no excuses.”

Police recorded Suga’s blood alcohol as 0.08%, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency. Seoul Yongsan Police Station said Suga is facing charges for violating the Road Traffic Act, per the Korean publication Maeil Business Newspaper.

“I apologize to those who have been hurt by my carelessness and wrongful behaviour, and I will ensure that this does not happen again in the future," Suga’s post said.  

The apology came after BTS’s label, Big Hit, which is owned by HYBE, first revealed Wednesday that the incident had taken place and apologized on Suga’s behalf. 

“We apologise for the disappointment caused by our artist’s inappropriate behaviour. As a public service worker, he will receive appropriate disciplinary action from his workplace for causing public disturbance. We will take greater care to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future. Thank you,” the statement read.  

BTS has been on hiatus since 2022. The band’s members pursued various solo projects, including lucrative fashion campaigns, before all seven members began mandatory Military conscription service. All able-bodied men aged 18 to 35 in South Korea must serve in the Military. The band members are expected to reunite as a group in 2025.

Suga is currently serving as a social service agent as part of his Military service. The singer first  began service at a front-line boot camp in December 2022, before he was deemed “unfit for the regular combat duty,” and started his current post in September 2023. According to Forbes, Korean media reported that this was likely due to a shoulder operation Suga had in 2020.