How did BTS Suga hurt his shoulder?

Min Yoongi popularly known as BTS Suga and Agust D, was involved in an accident in 2012 when he worked as a delivery boy and consequently dislocated his shoulder.

The South Korean rapper, songwriter, and producer kept the full story of his injury under wraps for years and only disclosed it to his fellow bandmates in an episode of the BTS documentary, Burn the Stage.

The complications from the K-pop idol’s injury worsened over the years, leading him to undergo surgery in November 2020. As a result of the complications from his shoulder injury, BTS Suga was noticeably absent from group events in 2020, like the Melon Music Awards, the SBS Gayo Daejeon Festival, and the Disney Holiday Singalong, amongst others.

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More details on BTS Suga’s shoulder injury

According to an episode of Burn the Stage, the BTS documentary, which aired in 2018, the 31-year-old BTS member was hit by a car while running errands as a delivery boy in 2012.

He was still a BTS trainee at the time and didn’t tell his company, Big Hit Entertainment because he wasn’t supposed to be working while being a trainee. Additionally, the singer has shared information about the accident in the lyrics of his song, The Last, released in 2016 under his solo moniker, Agust D. The English translation reads:

“My shoulder which shattered… thanks to the accident I met during my part-time job.”

The accident was also re-enacted in the singer’s AMYGDALA music video, which showed clips of the rapper on a motorcycle, slamming into a car at an intersection.

In October 2020, fans noticed the BTS member's discomfort concerning his shoulder during BTS’s Map of the Soul ON:E online concerts in October 2020 Suga later addressed the concerns by saying:

"During the opening song, I couldn’t perform as well due to a shoulder problem but I’m fine now, and there’s nothing to worry about.”

However, later on, the idol had to undergo surgery and the statement released by his record label, Big Hit Entertainment read:

"As many fans know, Suga has long suffered from shoulder-related health issues. Suga’s shoulder issues began when he was injured in an accident that occurred in 2012 before his debut, and he was diagnosed with a dislocated shoulder in 2013. Shoulder pains continued until he was further diagnosed in 2019 with ‘posterior labral tear of his left shoulder’, which means that the cartilage around his left shoulder joint has been torn. Since then, he has continued to receive various treatment to prevent his injury from affecting his activities.”

The company further explained that BTS Suga had suffered from symptoms, like the inability to raise his arms and sudden bouts of pain, as a result of the complications in his shoulder. The K-pop idol resorted to physical rehabilitation and treatments but his condition did not improve and worsened as the years went by. This inevitably led to the rapper choosing to undergo surgery.

Following the surgery, BTS Suga reached out to fans to assure them of his well-being. The rapper, in a post on Weverse, stated that his surgery went well and he was relieved.

Suga’s first performance post-surgery was at the 35th Golden Disc Awards in January 2021.

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BTS Suga has taken the stage on several occasions, since then, and even successfully wrapped up his D-DAY solo tour in August 2023. He is currently serving as a social service agent as he was ruled unfit for regular military duties due to his injury.