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BTS member Suga. Photo from Suga's Instagram account

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BTS' Suga issues handwritten apology for drunk driving issue

Paul Xavier Jaehwa Bernardo

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1724642950424Snapinsta.app_346929173_206481211709793_4680525581122363215_n_1080.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">BTS member Suga. <em>Photo from Suga&#x27;s Instagram account</em></span></span></span>Suga, a member of the K-pop sensation BTS, issued Sunday a handwritten apology, once again addressing the recent incident in which he drove an electric vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.</div><p>The rapper, whose real name is Min Yoon-gi, posted the apology letter on fan community platform Weverse two days after he appeared at a police station in Seoul&#x27;s Yongsan district for questioning.</p><p>&quot;It is with feelings of shame that I apologize once again to you all. I apologize very deeply for having disappointed and hurt my fans and everyone who loves me through my wrongdoings,&quot; Suga wrote in the letter translated into English by K-pop news website <a href="https://www.soompi.com/article/1683883wpp/bts-suga-pens-2nd-apology-for-drunk-driving-incident"><strong>Soompi</strong></a>.</p><p>The 31-year-old idol was found by police lying on the ground next to his electric scooter late at night last August 6, with a blood alcohol level well over the legal limit.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/2024/8/7/bts-suga-charged-with-driving-scooter-under-the-influence-1356"><strong>READ: BTS&#x27; Suga charged with driving scooter under the influence<br/></strong></a></div><p>In his letter, Suga also apologized for &quot;causing a great deal of confusion&quot; through an initial statement posted shortly after the incident, where he referred to the scooter as an &quot;electric kickboard.&quot;</p><p>&quot;I should have thought more deeply and carefully, but I failed to do so,&quot; he said.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:633px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1724643153867SUGA LETTER.jpg" style="width:633px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Suga&#x27;s handwritten letter. <em>Photo from BTS&#x27; Weverse community</em></span></span></span>The &quot;Haegeum&quot; artist said he felt &quot;painfully sorry&quot; for &quot;[causing] damage&quot; to his bandmates and acknowledged the disappointment of some fans.</div><p>&quot;I will accept not only the disciplinary measures that will be decided [by the authorities] in the future, but also any criticism or rebuke,&quot; he said.</p><p>Suga, who is currently performing mandatory military duties as a social service agent, has already had his driving license revoked and been fined.</p><p>But he still needs to answer police questions as officers said he was too drunk to respond at the time of the incident.</p><p>Experts said Suga&#x27;s punishment will depend on the type of e-scooter he was driving, according to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) report.</p><p>If he was riding a sophisticated e-scooter rather than a simple kickboard, Suga &quot;could be punished for violating the Road Traffic Act,&quot; lawyer Cha Hong-soon told AFP.</p><p>Police have said Suga&#x27;s blood alcohol level was 0.227 percent, nearly three times over the legal limit.</p><p>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.</p><p>But police will also consider &quot;factors such as the driver&#x27;s driving distance, whether any damage occurred, and whether he had a similar criminal record,&quot; Cha added.</p><p>Seoul&#x27;s Military Manpower Administration has said Suga will be punished according to the traffic law, not military law, as the incident happened outside of his official working hours.</p><p>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.</p><p>&quot;I liked BTS because of Yoon-gi and now I just can&#x27;t stop crying,&quot; said BTS fan Park Soo-hee, mentioning Suga&#x27;s real name.</p><p>&quot;People say that you should never love an idol who appears on the police blotter or the 9 o&#x27;clock news and I&#x27;m just really disappointed in him.&quot;</p><p>The seven members of the world&#x27;s most popular boy band have been on a self-described &quot;hiatus&quot; since 2022 due to their military service, which South Korea requires of all men under 30 due to tensions with the nuclear-armed North.</p><div><strong>— With a report from Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><em>For more news and features on K-pop, K-drama, and K-stars, visit the </em><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/kcontents"><em>Hallyu Corner</em></a><em> microsite.</em></div><div><strong>FROM THE ARCHIVES</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kDTgGS2CizQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><strong></strong><em></em><br/></div>

<p>Suga, a member of the K-pop sensation BTS, issued Sunday a handwritten apology, once again addressing the recent incident in which he drove an electric vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.</p>

Suga, a member of the K-pop sensation BTS, issued Sunday a handwritten apology, once again addressing the recent incident in which he drove an electric vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.

BTS' Suga posts handwritten apology over drunk driving issue

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BTS' Suga posts handwritten apology over drunk driving issue

Paul Xavier Jaehwa Bernardo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 26, 2024 11:53 AM PHT

Read More:

K-content

K-pop

BTS

Suga

Min Yoon-gi

DUI

drunk driving

Soompi

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