Recently, some in the BTS fandom, particularly international ARMYs, have turned their attention to South Korean culture critic Jung Min Jae following his comments on SUGA’s recent DUI incident. In an interview with The Korea Times, Jung addressed the controversy surrounding the BTS member’s drunk driving case, offering his perspective on the potential consequences for SUGA and his place in the group.
Jung Min Jae’s remarks suggested that despite the severe nature of the offense in Korea, where drunk driving is considered a grave issue, especially for public figures, SUGA’s position in BTS is relatively secure. He stated, “It is relatively unlikely that BTS’s agency would consider SUGA’s withdrawal from the group.” Jung explained that the response to drunk driving offenses tends to differ significantly abroad, where public sentiment may not be as severe as it is in Korea.
The critic also pointed out that South Korea’s sentiment has turned for the worst as SUGA allegedly provided misinformation. The critic stated, “We will still have to wait for the results of the police investigation. However, not only did he drive drunk, but he also repeatedly provided misleading explanations, which has deeply disappointed Korean fans.”
Following the culture critic’s remark, international fans have attacked the critic by refuting that SUGA did not lie. They wrote comments such as, “We demand you to retract your words, accusing BTS SUGA of ‘repeatedly providing misleading explanations,’ accusing him of lying despite him being proven to be telling the truth! Have shame for defaming your ‘Nation’s pride’ based on lies of Korean media as a critic!“
@minjae_jung
We demand you to retract your words, accusing BTS SUGA of "repeatedly providing misleading explanations", accusing him of lying despite him proven to be telling the truth!
Have shame for defaming your "Nation's pride" based on lies of Korean media as a critic! pic.twitter.com/WFi3q9gRsC
— ⟭BlueeDenise⁷⁼¹⟬ 아포방포💜 (@BlueeDenise) August 14, 2024
With many international fans attacking critic Jung Min Jae, he revealed that international fans were also flocking to his wife’s social media to attack the couple. Critic Jung Min Jae explained, “They even went so far as to find my wife’s Instagram and leave comments. Fortunately, both my wife and I are used to dealing with situations like this, but it’s still hard to shake off a creepy feeling. Why did SUGA have to drive under the influence and cause all this chaos everywhere? Is it so difficult to live a decent life and follow the law properly?“
이 일로 아내의 인스타그램까지 찾아가 댓글을 남긴 이들이 있다고. 다행히 나도 아내도 이런 일엔 도가 튼 사람들인데, 좀 징그러운 기분이 드는 건 어쩔 수 없네. 슈가는 대체 왜 음주 운전을 해서 여기저기 이따위 패악질을 보게 하나. 인생 똑바로 법 지켜가며 멀쩡히 사는 게 그렇게 힘든가. https://t.co/rxNK2Uh1q1 pic.twitter.com/LiltqS6mWJ
— 정민재 (@minjae_jung) August 15, 2024
On August 15, the critic revealed that these international fans were also attempting to log onto his Twitter account. He explained, “Wow, the level of chaos from this fandom is beyond imagination. Earlier, I got an international call, and now they’re trying to change my Twitter password. I understand it’s shocking for them to see their favorite idol become a criminal overnight… but do they think all of this will erase the fact that SUGA drove under the influence? Keep going if you think it’ll work.”
이야 이 팬덤 행패 수준 상상 초월이네. 아깐 국제 전화가 오더니 이제 트위터 비밀번호를 바꾸려고 한다고. 아무리 하루 아침에 최애가 범죄자가 되는 날벼락을 맞았다지만… 이런다고 슈가가 음주 운전한 일이 사라지나? 계속 해보시길. pic.twitter.com/ffX7eYPTJF
— 정민재 (@minjae_jung) August 15, 2024
Korean netizens commented:
“They’re doing this here too, lol. Seriously, it’s like a plague.”
“Those fans are so toxic.”
“They have no lives.”
“But how do they even find out about this stuff? I use Twitter too, but all I see is content about my own idol, and barely anything about other fandoms. How do they know about these foreign fan accounts? Are they following them?”
“Dragging in other members who did nothing wrong just proves how thoughtless they are, just like the original post.”
“Amazing.”
“The behavior of this fandom… their chaotic antics are legendary.”
“Just looking at those quoted tweets… They still haven’t come to their senses, lol. What are the Korean fans doing? Are they not stopping these international fans?”
“How did they even find the critic’s wife’s Instagram? It’s creepy. It’s hard to tell who’s acting like cockroaches here.”
“This is truly one of the most mentally disturbed fandoms ever…”
“That’s why celebrities shouldn’t commit crimes. It doesn’t just affect them but has a huge negative impact on society. Seriously, what is this?”
“Group members specialize in cyberbullying. The whole group grew through chart manipulation, so there’s a lot of shady stuff going on.”
“These international fans don’t listen to reason.”
