BTS’s Suga apologises for drunk driving on e-scooter

K-pop star Suga, a member of the boy band supergroup BTS, apologised on Wednesday after police in Seoul, the South Korean capital, fined him and revoked his licence for drunk driving while on an electric scooter.

The songwriter and rapper had ridden the scooter for about 500 metres (1,640 feet) before he tripped when parking on Tuesday night, his label Big Hit Music, which is part of K-pop firm HYBE said.

Suga failed a breathalyser test conducted by nearby police and was fined and his scooter licence taken away, the label said, adding that the incident caused no harm to anyone else or property damage.

“I violated the road traffic law because I was comfortable with the idea of being close (to home) and was not aware that you could not use an electric scooter when you are drunk,” Suga wrote in a post on Weverse, a fan platform owned by HYBE.

“I apologise to everyone who has been hurt by my careless and wrong behaviour,” added Suga, whose birth name is Min Yoon-gi.

South Korea, which requires a licence for the use of an electric scooter, can levy penalties for driving while drunk or injuring others.

HYBE also apologised, noting that Suga was wearing a helmet while riding the scooter. The agency added that he would accept any additional disciplinary action over the incident, which has sparked controversy on social media.

The incident is the latest example of K-pop performers sometimes falling short of their squeaky-clean image.

Since announcing a break from group projects in June 2022, BTS members pursued solo activities before starting military service. The 31-year-old Suga has been engaged in social service work in order to meet his military duty commitment.

All able-bodied South Korean men aged 18 to 28 must serve for about two years in the military, though some are allowed to work as social service agents as an alternative form of duty.

The next BTS member to finish will be J-Hope, who will be discharged in October. The rest of the band including Suga will complete their service in June 2025.