BTS’ Suga Hit With Fine and License Revocation After Riding Electric Scooter While Intoxicated

A night out at dinner ended in a trip to the police station for Suga. The BTS member was escorted home by police after having his license revoked and receiving a fine for operating an electric scooter while intoxicated. In a statement regarding the incident, the musician apologized and maintained that he was unaware that riding the scooter after drinking was a violation of South Korean traffic laws.

“While I was parking my electric kickboard at the front gate of my house, I fell over by myself,” Suga wrote in a statement to fans. “And as a result of the breathalyzer test conducted by a police officer nearby, my license was revoked and a fine was imposed. 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.” His description aligns with that of a traffic officer in Seoul’s Yongsan district, where the encounter is believed to have occurred, according to the New York Times.

BTS label Big Hit Music noted in a separate statement that Suga’s route covered only 500 meters or one-third of a mile — and if it counts for anything, he was at least wearing a helmet. But to reach the point of having his license revoked, his blood alcohol content would have had to reach or exceed 0.08 percent. “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,” the 31-year-old explained.

Later in the post, he added: “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.” Bit Hit also expressed remorse, stating: “We express our sincere apology for the incident involving BTS member Suga and his electric kickboard accident. We apologize for the disappointment caused by the artist’s inappropriate behavior.”

The artist has been completing his mandatory military service as a social service agent in South Korea since last year. Mostly, he’s managed to keep a low-profile while doing so. “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,” Bit Hit added. “We will take greater care to ensure that such incidents do not happen again in the future.”

From Rolling Stone US.