A civil complaint has been filed requesting an investigation into the military service status of BTS member Suga (Min Yoongi), following a controversy over drunk driving.
It was confirmed on August 12 that the Seoul Regional Military Manpower Administration received a civil complaint from an individual identified as “A,” requesting a thorough investigation into Suga’s military service management status as a social service agent.
The petitioner stated, “Since Suga and his agency Big Hit Music have previously been involved in controversies regarding ‘minimization and false explanations,’ this situation stems from a ‘sense of entitlement of the privileged class,’ as some fans have claimed.” The petitioner continued, “Suga’s explanation that he didn’t realize he couldn’t use an electric scooter while intoxicated could be seen as an indirect admission that he might have driven the same scooter after drinking, after completing his duties as a social service worker. 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.”
The petitioner also cited specific articles of the Military Service Act and the Social Service Worker Service Management Regulations, urging the authorities to thoroughly investigate the management status of Suga’s service and take strict measures if any illegal activities are found.
On the night of August 6, Suga was found alone, having fallen while riding an electric scooter on a street in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. A nearby police officer noticed the smell of alcohol, conducted a breathalyzer test, and found Suga’s blood alcohol level to be 0.227%, well over the legal limit.
On August 7, Suga issued a statement saying, “I violated traffic laws because I thought it was a short distance and didn’t realize that using an electric scooter while intoxicated was illegal. There is no excuse for my actions, and I sincerely apologize to everyone.”
Big Hit Music also released a statement on the same day, saying, “After driving for about 500 meters, Suga fell while parking, and a nearby police officer conducted a breathalyzer test. He was fined and had his license revoked. Suga plans to accept appropriate disciplinary action from his workplace.”
The Military Manpower Administration has determined that no separate disciplinary action will be taken against Suga for the drunk driving incident, as it occurred outside of working hours. However, they acknowledged that he did violate the duty to maintain dignity according to the Military Service Act. An official from the Administration stated, “Drinking and driving an electric scooter can be seen as a violation of the code of conduct,” but added, “Since the Military Service Act stipulates that disciplinary action through an extension of service must occur during working hours, it will be difficult to extend Suga’s service.”
The police are currently coordinating with Big Hit Music and the Military Manpower Administration to conduct an official investigation into Suga’s drunk driving incident.
