Netizen files an anonymous civil complaint to the Military Manpower Administration seeking a thorough investigation into BTS' Suga's DUI case

On August 13, 2024, BTS' Min Yoongi aka Suga's DUI case took another turn after a netizen made an anonymous complaint to the Military Manpower Administration to investigate. Sports Kyunghyang reported that according to the netizen's civil complaint, they demanded a thorough probe into Suga's ongoing enlistment service record.

A netizen claimed that BTS's Suga might have ridden an electric scooter during his military service and speculated that he took several leaves, approved by the Military Manpower Administration. Notably, an MBC report mentioned an electric kickboard, but later, some Korean media referred to it as an electric scooter, angering ARMY, who accused the media of distorting the facts.

Meanwhile, according to Sports Kyunghyang, the petitioner wrote,

"Since Suga and his agency BigHit Music have previously been the subject of controversy over ‘minimization and false explanations,’ it is a result of the ‘sense of authority of the privileged class,’ as some fans have claimed."

The petitioner continued:

"It’s also possible that Suga couldn’t properly perform his service the following day and that the service organization provided him with undue convenience. A thorough investigation into the truth is necessary."

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A breakdown of BTS Suga's drunk driving controversy

On August 7, 2024, news of BTS' Min Yoongi being charged for drunk driving an electric kickboard made headlines. According to the Yongsan Police Department, the K-pop sensation rode a personal mobility device (PMD) on August 6 around 11 PM. The idol returned to his Hannam-dong home after dinner and confessed to having a glass of beer.

Yoongi issued an apology letter on Weverse where he elaborated on the entire incident and clarified that he was trying to park the electric kickboard in front of his house door when he tripped. A police officer was patrolling nearby and rushed to assist him. He asked the BTS idol to blow on the breathalyzer which recorded a blood alcohol level (BAC) of 0.08%.

The Never Mind rapper-songwriter apologized for being unaware of the traffic laws pertaining to riding an electric kickboard/scooter and assured that nobody was injured. Later, Koreaboo reported that his blood alcohol level (BAC) was over 0.227%. The BTS ARMY expressed dismay and claimed that the reports were distorted and the matter was blown out of proportion to ruin Suga's reputation.

Meanwhile, on August 7, 2024, the Military Manpower Administration issued its statement and declared that they would not take any action against the BTS idol. They justified their decision by stating that social workers are only held responsible for their acts that take place within regular working hours.

The Military Manpower Administration also concluded that "no special punishment" would be required because Suga's drunk driving event occurred during off-peak hours.

The BTS idol has been subject to online hate since the news broke out as netizens sent withdrawal wreaths outside of HYBE, demanding the idol's exit from the band. The BTS ARMY showed their support toward Suga and trended several hashtags on X like "WE LOVE YOU YOONGI," "BTS IS 7," etc.

ARMYs also reported several articles by Korean media that allegedly tried to distort several facts in the ongoing DUI case. They tagged JTBC, Chosun, SBS, and more and asked them to apologize and delete their falsified articles.

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In other news, BTS' Min Yoongi enlisted in the South Korean military as a social service worker on September 22, 2023. Due to his shoulder injury, he enlisted as a Grade-5 recruit to serve a mandatory conscription period of 21 months.