Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
BTS' Suga to be questioned by police in drunk driving case
K-pop band BTS' Suga / Courtesy of BigHit Music
By Jung Min-ho
Suga, a member of the K-pop juggernaut BTS, will be summoned by police for questioning on suspicions that he drove an electric scooter under the influence of alcohol last week.
According to police, Sunday, the 31-year-old rapper will soon be questioned at the Yongsan Police Station in Seoul for allegedly driving an electric scooter under the influence in the Hannam neighborhood on Aug. 6.
This case came to light when a police officer found Suga lying on the ground at 11:27 p.m. Noting the smell of alcohol, the officer took him to a nearby station, where his blood alcohol content was measured at 0.227 percent, well above the 0.08 percent threshold for license revocation.
The investigation will likely focus on whether Suga was aware that he was violating the Road Traffic Act, which prohibits driving under the influence of alcohol.
The day after the incident, Suga released a statement admitting to drinking alcohol before riding the electric scooter but claimed he was unaware that he was breaking the law.
Violators of the law, which applies to drivers of cars and electric scooters alike, could face a maximum prison sentence of five years or a fine of up to 20 million won ($14,000) if their blood alcohol content is 0.2 percent or higher.
Since September 2023, Suga has been serving as a public service worker, an alternative form of the country’s compulsory military service.