BTS fans divided over Suga’s drunk driving incident

Suga (photo) was booked by the police for driving an e-scooter under the influence on August 6, with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.227 per cent, one of the highest recorded levels among K-pop singers. Photo courtesy of Big Hit Music

SEOUL BTS’s dedicated fanbase, known as Army, is sharply divided over the recent drunk driving by Suga. While some fans express disappointment and even call for his departure from the band, others argue that such criticism is excessive and that Suga should be given privacy to deal with the situation.

Suga was booked by the police for driving an e-scooter under the influence on August 6, with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.227 per cent, one of the highest recorded levels among K-pop singers.

The news left some fans deeply disappointed.

“What he did was wrong, and there’s no excusing it. But I think he’s being overly criticised. Suga is not just an average K-pop idol; he’s a global star with immense influence and he knows this better than anyone. It was a reckless act,” said a local BTS fan, surnamed Han, on Monday.

Some fans have taken their discontent further by sending protest wreaths to Hybe’s headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on Tuesday, demanding Suga leave the band. The wreaths bore messages such as “Min Yoon-gi, leave,” “You let go of our hands first” and “Resign before you face the press.”

The protest was a spontaneous act by individual fans rather than an organized effort by the fandom, according to press reports.

“Each person sent wreaths independently; this is not a collective action by the fandom. The protest was triggered after Hybe and Big Hit Music (BTS’s agency) issued a false statement about Suga, with no corrective measures taken,” a local media outlet quoted an anonymous fan as saying.

International fans have expressed concern for Suga’s well-being, urging that he be given space to avoid excessive stress.

“I am concerned about Suga’s mental and emotional health because of situations that he has discussed regarding his past struggles with mental health, especially considering what happened recently with Lee Sun-kyun,” Cassie Stewart, a BTS fan in Connecticut, US, said on Thursday. Actor Lee was found dead in his car days after a 19-hour questioning by police over alleged drug use.

Mary Lutkus, another BTS fan in the US, shared a similar sentiment, saying, “There’s no question this was a crime, and the legal consequences should fit the offense. But what’s shocking and infuriating is the vitriol and cruelty that the Korean public seems to enjoy directing at any celebrity who shows they are a fallible human being.”

Music critic Lim Hee-yun pointed out that the high expectations placed on K-pop artists by local fans are deeply rooted in the K-pop culture.

“International fans need to understand that the foundation of K-pop is built on extremely high ethical standards. Without these strict expectations, the unique appeal of K-pop wouldn’t exist,” Lim said on Thursday.

Lim also highlighted the unique context of drunk driving in South Korea, especially when it involves prominent figures like BTS.

“In South Korea, there’s a particularly strong backlash against drunk driving, as seen in cases like that of trot singer Kim Ho-joong. Laws like the Yoon Chang-ho Act reflect how seriously this issue is taken here.”

“BTS, as artists who have elevated the nation’s prestige, are held to a higher ethical standard, even more so than Olympic champions. This is why the public reaction is so intense,” Lim added.

The Yoon Chang-ho Act was enacted following a tragic incident in 2018, where a young man named Yoon Chang-ho was killed after being hit by a drunk driver. THE KOREA HERALD/ANN