The Japan Times - BTS' Suga says 'very sorry' over drunk e-scooter incident

SUGA, 31, was found by police lying on the ground next to his e-scooter late at night on August 6, with a blood alcohol level well over the legal limit.

Wearing a black suit, SUGA bowed in front of journalists outside the police station in Seoul's fashionable Yongsan district.

"I'm sorry, I'm very sorry. I sincerely reflect on the fact I caused disappointment to many fans and people. I will cooperate fully with the investigation. I am sorry again," he said before entering the station.

He did not answer reporters' questions on the details of the case.

The singer, who is currently performing mandatory military duties as a social service agent, has already had his driving license revoked and been fined.

But he still needs to answer police questions as officers said he was too drunk to respond at the time of the incident.

SUGA has admitted to driving drunk and apologised to fans on social media.

Experts told AFP that the punishment will depend on what kind of e-scooter he was driving.

If he was riding a sophisticated e-scooter rather than a simple kick-board, SUGA "could be punished for violating the Road Traffic Act", lawyer Cha Hong-soon said.

Police have said SUGA's blood alcohol level was 0.227 percent -- nearly three times over the legal limit.

This could mean a prison sentence of up to five years or a fine between KRW 10 million ($7,295) to KRW 20 million ($14,952) under the South Korean Road Traffic Act.

But police will also consider "factors such as the driver's driving distance, whether any damage occurred, and whether he had a similar criminal record," Cha added.

Seoul's Military Manpower Administration has said that SUGA will be punished according to the traffic law, not military law, as the incident happened outside of his official working hours.

BTS fans -- known collectively as ARMY -- have been divided over the controversy, with some rallying behind the singer as others call for him to leave the band.

"I liked BTS because of Yoongi (SUGA's Korean name) and now I just can't stop crying," said BTS fan Park Soo-hee.

"People say that you should never love an idol who appears on the police blotter or the 9 o'clock news and I'm just really disappointed in him."

The seven members of the world's most popular boy band have been on a self-described "hiatus" since 2022 due to their military service, which South Korea requires of all men under 30 due to tensions with the nuclear-armed North.

K.Nakajima--JT