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On Friday, October 11, the Commissioner of the Military Manpower Administration (MMA), Kim Jong-chul, addressed BTS SUGA's DUI case. The K-pop idol, who is currently serving as a social service worker under the South Korean military, was revealed to not receive any disciplinary action for his offense of driving under the influence.
Kim Jong-chul stated:
“We cannot punish Suga because the military service law does not regulate such cases. While I don’t believe it’s entirely reasonable (for him not to be disciplined), we are focusing on educating and rehabilitating him.”
This statement was made during a National Defense Committee audit of the MMA at the National Assembly. He continued to explain that there's a difference between the punishments that can be given to active duty workers and service duty workers in the South Korean military, even during their hours outside of work and on off days.
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While an active-duty worker can be held accountable and disciplined for their actions, including drunk driving, the same rules can't be applied to social service workers. Therefore, the idol will not be receiving any punishment in regard to his mandatory military service. However, the Military Manpower Administration has been discussing possible rehabilitation for the idol.
All you need to know about BTS SUGA's DUI case
On August 7, BTS SUGA was charged with DUI after being caught drunk driving an electric shooter. On the night of August 6, around 11 PM, the idol was driving home from his studio after having drinks with his friends. His house was approximately 500 meters away from the studio, and fortunately, no one was hurt during the incident.
However, the idol fell off the scooter while making a turn in front of his house. A nearby patrol officer who witnessed the fall conducted a breathalyzer test, which came back positive. As a result, the idol was charged with DUI, and his license was revoked. On August 23, the idol appeared at the Yeongsan Police Station for a private investigation.
When he arrived at the police station, the idol addressed the issue and apologized to anyone who might have been hurt or disappointed by his actions. He stated:
"I'm sorry. I sincerely regret disappointing many people. I will cooperate fully with the investigation. Once again, I'm sorry."
After a series of investigations, the case was passed to prosecution. The prosecution concluded the case by issuing a fine of 15 million KRW, approximately 11,000 USD. This decision was followed by a summary order issued by Judge Lee Yoo-seop of the Seoul Western District Court. He issued a fine against Suga for violating the Road Traffic Act by driving under the influence for the same amount.
As of now, BTS' SUGA is yet to respond to this order. If the idol disputes the fine, he can request a formal trial within one week. Both SUGA and BigHit Music have released statements addressing the DUI case and apologized to fans for the incident.
