BTS’ (방탄소년단) Suga (슈가) has been facing immense backlash from the public and K-pop fans following reports of his DUI (driving under the influence) incident. BIGHIT MUSIC’s initial statement also failed to dispel the intense criticism as many believed the company attempted to downplay the severity of the incident, especially after CCTV footage was released.
However, it has now been reportedly confirmed that the previously released CCTV footage showing the idol cruising on a busy road on his electric scooter was fabricated by a Korean news outlet. Here’s what really happened:
Yesterday (Wednesday, 14th August), Korean news media DongA Ilbo published new CCTV footage that showed Suga slowly riding his electric scooter along a pavement near the Nine One Hannam apartment complex before falling off his vehicle after making a sharp left turn. Police officers patrolling the area approached to assist the rapper and checked if he had been drinking. It was reported that the celeb was not taken to the police station as previously claimed but rather sent home after taking a breathalyzer test on the scene.
The latest video refutes the previously released viral clip by JTBC which depicted a man believed to be the 31-year-old artist speeding on the busy road. The route and the type of scooter he was riding also differed from what was previously reported by the news station. According to Daum TV Daily, BIGHIT MUSIC confirms that the man in the CCTV footage acquired by DongA Ilbo was indeed the BTS member.
It was also later revealed that police never actually disclosed Suga’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) as investigations are still ongoing, contrary to initial reports that claimed his BAC was 0.227% which is over the license revocation limit. Following these revelations, several Korean news outlets have removed the first CCTV footage from their websites and YouTube channels along with the articles regarding the incident.
Many came to Suga’s defence and demanded a public apology from Korean media for the false reports. However, some argued that although the idol was not speeding, he should still be held accountable for riding a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. At the time of writing, neither Korean authorities nor BIG HIT/HYBE released a follow-up statement on the case’s development.
Watch the new CCTV footage below:
@lele_ph Don’t trap us by believing all those fake news and lies. Suga already explained this and we real Armys’ only believe in Suga’s statement.😇💜#ot7 #ipurpleyou #fypage #btspavedtheway #filipinoarrmy🇵🇭💜 #btsforever #bts_official_bighit #philippines #btsarmy #BTS #bts #ot7 #2024 #btsxarmy #suga #cttovideonotmine
