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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
