BTS’ Suga landed in trouble recently for allegedly driving an electric scooter while he was under the influence of alcohol. He even apologized after the incident. However, a recent report revealed that the BTS star is subject to punishment for his actions. Keep scrolling for the deets.
For the unversed, Suga fell while riding his E-scooter on Tuesday and was alone. According to reports, the Seoul Yongsan Police Station booked him on charges of violating the Road Traffic Act [drunk driving] and is investigating the incident. Suga was helped by some police officers who reportedly smelled alcohol on the K-pop idol. They then took him to the police station.
The latest report by KoreaBoo revealed that an official from the Yongsan Police Station issued an official statement on the incident to the media outlet Dispatch. The statement claimed that the E-scooter Suga was operating was not considered a personal mobility device, so he was subject to criminal punishment for drinking and driving. The report explained that many E-scooters are classified as personal mobility devices, but the vehicle that the BTS star was driving is classified as a motorized bicycle.
A personalized mobility device is a vehicle that moves a person with a maximum speed of 25 kilometers per hour and weighs under 30 kilos. But Suga’s device probably did not fit that bill. The police statement read, “Suga was operating an electric scooter. After investigating the device, we have found that [the scooter model] is not included in the personal mobility device list.”
It further states, “Operating a personal mobility device would result in administrative measures. [Suga’s scooter] was not a personal mobility device. Therefore, he can be subject to criminal punishment for driving under the influence.” They are yet to set the investigation schedule.
According to the report, the Road Traffic Act states that driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.08% or higher is subject to punishment of a fine between “₩5.00 million KRW (about $3,650 USD) to ₩10.0 million KRW (about $7,290 USD),” or a jail sentence of 1-2 years. Meanwhile, the Military Manpower Association confirmed that the BTS Suga will not face extra punishment from the military.
As per Soompi, Suga’s apology letter read, “Hello, this is Suga. 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…” It also mentioned, “I apologize to everyone hurt by my careless and wrong actions, and I will be more careful in my actions in the future to prevent such incidents from occurring again.”
