BTS’s Suga managed to avoid a public spectacle, but it seems the game of cat and mouse with the media is far from over.
On August 22nd, HYBE, a representative from BTS’s label, confirmed that “Suga will not be appearing for police questioning today.”
Suga is required to undergo an investigation for his DUI charges. Initially, it was widely expected that Suga would appear for questioning today, on the 22nd. This prompted a large gathering of reporters early in the morning; however, with no sign of Suga, most of the media had dispersed by noon.
Yet, the possibility of Suga facing the media gauntlet still lingers. Earlier, the police had stated that they would “confirm the schedule within the week,” which was interpreted to mean that Suga’s appearance would happen sometime this week. However, it could also imply that his questioning might be scheduled for next week or later. Some speculate that the investigation could take place privately, though if Suga encounters the media on his way in, it could become a lasting negative memory for both him and HYBE.
Suga was caught by the police on the night of August 6th while riding an electric scooter under the influence in Seoul’s Hannam-dong neighborhood. His blood alcohol concentration was 0.227%, far exceeding the legal limit for license revocation (0.08%). By most standards, this level indicates severe intoxication, on par with or even higher than levels seen in past DUI incidents that led to celebrities like Kim Sae Ron and Kwak Do Won vanishing from the public eye.
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I am not ARMY. I am old but I do know BTS. This is my feeling about Suga’s current predicament. BTS is a group of very talented young people. For years they have been icons for people around the world. They are young men who never seem to put a foot wrong. So how realistic is that?
Suga was apparently found drunk in charge of an electric motor scooter. Not a car, not a bus. An electric motor scooter. While I don’t condone drinking to excess, I feel the vitriol issued against this young man is actually worse than his crime.
At almost 75 years old, I would like you all to give him a break! Please!
It seems that fans in South Korea are as toxic as those on the US and other western countries. And before you say I am too old to understand modern values and S. Korean culture and society, I travelled alone there last year & will be visiting again this October…again as a solo traveller staying in small guesthouses and using public transport, meeting local people.