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On August 14, 2024, Dong-a Ilbo released the actual CCTV footage of BTS' Suga riding an electric scooter to his home. In the video, the BTS rapper could be seen riding the vehicle at a slow speed on the biker lane—as the top speed of an electric scooter is 30 km/hr. He took a left turn towards the Nine One Hannam complex and tripped. However, he immediately got up and picked up his helmet.
The BTS ARMY flooded social media stating that the rapper did not cross the speed limit, hadn't lied in his apology letter, and told the truth about tripping in front of the gate of his house. The Dong-a Ilbo CCTV footage debunked the previously released footage by JTBC where the news outlet claimed that Suga was allegedly speeding.
Furthermore, the recent CCTV footage shows the idol clearly while JTBC's released footage was extremely blurry, making it impossible to identify the rider and his vehicle. Meanwhile, the BTS ARMY was outraged and lashed out at JTBC and other Korean media outlets who allegedly "defamed" the idol with their unverified reports. One fan wrote on X,
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"The real cctv shows that his speed was as slow as an average person's walking & all the media just defamed him!"
Others rallied behind the latest footage—which went viral online—and underscored that the BTS rapper's original statement was accurate and matched the footage. They mentioned that the scooter's top speed is equivalent to a bicycle's speed and he was subjected to unnecessary online criticism.
"Yoongi was going slow and was in the bike lane. he was clearly riding an e-scooter and turns out, he really just traveled 500m you freaks," one fan wrote.
"Look how slow he is and how he's in the bike lane. Lmao. This is the e-scooter as riding at that slow speed and K-pop stans were so sure was a danger to innocent civilians like bffr," another fan wrote.
"The police didn't help him pick up the scooter either. He did it himself after grabbing the helmet. He used his hands to break his fall and prevent himself from falling completely. It was a very normal accident that can happen in everyday life," one other fan added.
The ARMY expressed their disappointment towards Korean media for masquerading the idol as a "criminal" and exposing him to a "public trial" with false reporting and releasing fake CCTV footage.
"BTS are 7 human boys, with virtues and flaws, who also make mistakes. But the fact that they are BTS does not imply judging them collectively in a different way, and without evidence. All the media defamed him and exposed him to a people's trial! But the truth always prevails..." another fan commented.
"Video surveillance that shows everything and proves that Yoongi did not do anything criminal. Absolutely. An ordinary evening, he rode an electric scooter, did not exceed the speed limit, he did everything according to the rules," one fan said.
"I SWEAR TO GOD!!!!!! EACH AND EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO FRAMED HIM WILL FACE CONSEQUENCES !!!!!! He was in control the whole ride, while turning around, he simply lost a bit of balance but still balanced himself. I can't believe what that evil media has done so far. SHAME!" another fan wrote.
BTS Suga's drunk driving incident: An accurate summary of what actually happened
The news first broke out on August 7, 2024, when MBC Entertainment reported that Suga was fined for drunk driving an electric kickboard on August 6 around 11.10 PM. JTBC released a blurred CCTV footage on August 7, that showed a person speed riding on a scooter towards Namsan, which is on the opposite way of Nine One Hannam complex.
JTBC's report claimed that the footage was of BTS' Suga driving at night. ARMYs noted that other Korean media outlets started reporting on the alleged video. The BTS ARMY tagged SBS, KBS, and JTBC, among others to rectify their articles since JTBC's released clip wasn't verified yet. However, non-BTS fans lashed out at Suga and demanded his removal from the band and imprisonment for 5 years.
Some netizens allegedly impersonated the BTS ARMY and sent flower wreaths outside HYBE, demanding Suga's withdrawal from the group. This further incensed the fans and they trended several hashtags on X like "ARMY did not send Wreaths," "BTS IS 7," and "Suga Stays."
Despite the idol's apology on August 7, the public criticism of Suga worried his fans as the situation worsened over a week. The BTS rapper even mentioned in his apology letter that he paid the fine and had his license revoked for a temporary period.
On August 7, Koreaboo reported that the idol's blood alcohol level (BAC) was 0.08%, later, it reported that the BAC was 0.227%. The same was reported by Korea Times, Yonhap, JoongAng Ilbo, Allkpop, and more. This further enraged the BTS ARMY as they wondered how the reports changed and they mass-trended on X, tagging these outlets to apologize for the alleged distortion of facts.
In other news, an anonymous netizen filed a petition to the Military Manpower Administration for a thorough investigation into Suga's ongoing military service. The netizen claimed that BTS' Suga may have neglected to perform his duties and allegedly took several leaves before.
