“It’s not that serious…”
BTS‘s Suga is under investigation by the police for operating an electric scooter after drinking.
The incident and the police’s response have sparked worries that the case may be blown out of proportion due to Suga’s celebrity status. However, details from the incident suggest otherwise.
According to the police, Suga was found fallen on the streets by himself on the night of August 6 after operating the electric kickboard after consuming alcohol. A police who had been patrolling nearby went over to help him up and smelt alcohol on him. Suspecting that he was intoxicated, the officer handed Suga over to the nearby police station for further investigation.
When the local police conducted a breathalyzer test, it was confirmed that Suga’s blood alcohol level exceeded the legal limit for license cancellation, which is 0.08%.
According to Hankook Ilbo, the police officers involved did not recognize Suga as a member of the globally famous group BTS at the time of the incident. This detail undermines the argument that his celebrity status influenced the handling of the case.
At the time of the incident, none of the officers who responded to the scene realized that the electric scooter driver was a BTS member.
— Hankook Ilbo
As a consequence of Suga’s popularity though, there’s been a lot of scrutiny around the case online. Fans have defended the star, claiming the incident is no big deal since he was found near his house and just on a scooter. However, Korean netizens see it as a huge problem and one that should be punished accordingly.
Some fans have suggested the backlash is unwarranted.
While some may argue that the backlash Suga faces is harsher due to his fame, the fact that the police did not know his identity when they found him suggests that the situation was handled based on the facts of the incident rather than his status as a celebrity.
