Suga of BTS arrives at Yongsan Police Station in Seoul for questioning by the police on Friday evening. | Image: Yonhap via The Korea Herald
Suga of BTS showed up for his first round of questioning at Yongsan Police Station in Seoul around 7:45 p.m. Friday in connection with allegations he was drunk while riding an electric scooter.
“I am deeply sorry. I sincerely regret disappointing my fans and the public. I will cooperate with the investigation. Once again, I apologize,” said Suga upon getting out of his car with a serious expression and bowing in front of reporters at the scene.
When questioned by reporters about why he did not go to the police station immediately after being caught on Aug. 6 and whether his claim of having only drunk one beer was true, Suga did not respond and instead entered the police station.
According to the police, Suga is accused of driving an electric scooter under the influence of alcohol on Aug. 6 in the Hanam-dong area of Yongsan District.
In Korea, electric scooters are classified as vehicles under the Road Traffic Act.
Police confirmed that his blood alcohol concentration at the time was measured at 0.227 percent, significantly above the license suspension threshold of 0.08 percent.
The police are currently investigating the circumstances of the incident, including his level of alcohol consumption and the route he drove under the influence.
They are also examining issues related to Suga’s alleged attempt to minimize the severity of the punishment by using the term “electric kick scooter” instead of “electric scooter” in his public apology statement.
Under the current law, both electric kick scooters and electric scooters are classified as “motorized bicycles,” but there is a difference in the level of punishment.
While electric kick scooters are excluded from the penal provisions for driving under the influence of alcohol, electric scooters can face criminal penalties including imprisonment and fines.
Suga is facing even more criticism for this drunk-driving incident as he is currently serving his mandatory military duty as a social service worker.
The Military Manpower Administration is set to conduct an on-site inspection to check whether Suga is faithfully performing his military service as a social service worker.
According to local reports, the Seoul Regional Military Manpower Administration is expected to begin an on-site inspection next week at an organization in Yongsan-gu where Suga is currently serving as a social service worker.
The Military Manpower Administration plans to check whether the organization provided any special accommodations to Suga regarding his work attendance and if there were any illegal activities.
A representative from the Yongsan District Office will also be present at the inspection for a joint investigation, according to local reports.
“Details of the on-site inspection will not be disclosed to the public,” MMA deputy spokesperson Woo Tak-kyoun told The Korea Herald on Friday.