BTS’ Suga fined $11,491 over Driving under the influence incident

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Suga of BTS has had a difficult few months due to the heavy public attention he endured after his August driving under the influence (DUI) incident. Nevertheless, after getting a court order, the pop singer at last felt some relief. For using an electric scooter while inebriated, Suga was fined 15 million won, or roughly Rs 9,30,000.

KoreaTimes reports that the singer was fined 15 million KRW (about $11,200 USD) by the Seoul Court in a summary order. In less serious circumstances, a summary order is usually granted in South Korea. Suga has seven days to ask for a formal trial if he wants to challenge the ruling.

On August 6, 2024, Suga fell off an electric scooter while operating it by himself while intoxicated. According to the Seoul Yongsan Police Station, Suga was arrested for driving while intoxicated, a violation of the Road Traffic Act. The scent of alcohol was detected by the officers who helped him after his fall, and they took him to the police station. His blood alcohol content, as determined by a breathalyzer test, was 0.227 percent, much higher than the 0.08 percent standard in Korea that is grounds for license revocation.

Following the event, Suga apologized in public. “I am very heavy-hearted and apologetic to bring you disappointing news. After drinking at a dinner yesterday night, I rode an electric scooter home. I violated the Road Traffic Act due to my complacent thinking that it was a short distance and my failure to recognize that using an electric scooter while intoxicated was prohibited.”

He went on to say that driving while intoxicated had resulted in the revocation of his license. He said, “I fell while parking the scooter in front of my house, and the nearby police officer conducted a breathalyzer test, resulting in the cancellation of my license and a fine. Although there were no victims or damaged facilities in this process, it is entirely my responsibility without any excuse, and I sincerely apologize to everyone.”