Suga, of world-famous K-pop group BTS, had his South Korean driver’s licence revoked after he was caught riding an electric scooter while intoxicated. The singer (real name Min Yoon-gi) issued a public apology on Wednesday and said he was “deeply sorry” to bring the “disappointing news” to his fanbase.
Suga, 31, said he was riding his electric scooter home from a dinner where he’d been drinking alcohol.
“I thought it was a short distance and didn’t realize that you can’t ride an electric scooter while intoxicated, so I violated the road traffic laws,” he wrote in Korean.
He said he “fell over” while parking the scooter in front of his home, located in Seoul. A nearby police officer witnessed the star’s tumble from his e-scooter and had Suga complete a breathalyzer test.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said police revealed Suga’s blood alcohol concentration was at least 0.08 per cent, the legal benchmark for revoking a person’s licence.
Suga admitted to the licensure cancellation and said he also received a fine.
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Suga was brought to the Yongsan Police Station for questioning. He was charged with violating the South Korean Road Traffic Act.
The singer was released after police questioning.
“No one was harmed or any facilities were damaged in the process, but this is my responsibility and I have no excuses, so I bow my head and apologize to everyone,” Suga wrote in his statement.
“I apologize to everyone who was hurt by my careless and wrong actions, and I will be more careful in my actions to avoid this from happening again.”
Suga is not an active member of BTS, which announced a hiatus in 2022. The break has allowed for the BTS members to pursue solo projects and to perform their mandatory military service, which Suga is currently completing.
The superstar is employed as a social service agent, an alternative form of military service that does not require someone to perform duties as a traditional soldier. Suga was assigned work as a social service agent after he was ruled unfit for regular combat duty, with local media speculating it’s because of a past shoulder injury.
Bighit, the record label that represents BTS, also issued a “sincere apology” for Suga’s behaviour. The label said Suga was wearing a helmet and travelled about 500 metres on his electric scooter.
“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 company wrote. “We will take greater care to ensure that such incidents do not happen again in the future.”
Suga’s military conscription is expected to end next June.
BTS is expected to reunite in 2025.
In Canada, it is also against the law to operate an electric scooter while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Driving any kind of motorized vehicle — including e-bikes and e-scooters — while intoxicated is considered illegal and could potentially lead to charges.