Previously, the global ARMY (BTS fandom) had expressed their support for Suga and the seven BTS members, and it looks like Suga’s activities, as well as those of BTS, will continue without any major hitches.
On September 10, the Criminal Division 2 of the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office (led by Prosecutor Choo Hye-yoon) announced that Suga had been summarily charged with a traffic violation (drinking and driving). A summary charge is requested when the charge is relatively minor, asking the court to issue a summary order for a fine or other penalty without a formal trial.
Suga was discovered by police on August 6 at approximately 11:15 p.m. near his residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul, having fallen off his electric scooter while intoxicated. He was subsequently arrested. After voluntarily appearing for police questioning, Suga admitted to the charges and police applied the Traffic Law for drunk driving before handing the case over to prosecutors on August 30.
Since his capture, Suga has faced public criticism under the label of “drunk scooter driver.” He was also subjected to the humiliation of appearing in front of a police photo lineup during the investigation. In his second apology, posted on the fan community platform Weverse, Suga stated: “My negligence has caused pain to those who care for me,” and he swore, “I will live with regret and commit to never making the same mistakes again.“
Despite this, some domestic fans called for Suga’s exit from the group. They sent funeral wreaths to HYBE headquarters and staged protests with trucks, causing uproar in the entertainment industry.
However, these calls were silenced on September 9, when ARMYs from 58 countries released a joint statement of support. The Global ARMY Alliance, which consists of 127 fan bases from 58 countries, released a statement declaring their support for all seven members of BTS.
The statement stressed: “TThe Global ARMY Alliance makes it clear that anti-ARMY groups that hide behind anonymity and reject any member do not represent the ARMY.,” adding, “We do not demand from any member more responsibility than the legal results..”
While some anti-fans are rallying support for Suga’s retirement via a portal site’s poll function, the alliance has clarified that this does not represent ARMY. The Global ARMY Alliance has stressed that the poll does not involve any identity verification or proof of being an ARMY member and has firmly stated, “No one has the right to impose demands on BTS regarding their future direction..”
With the fans’ statement of support and summary indictment, the negative sentiment surrounding the “drunken scooter” incident is gradually subsiding. Although there was initial disappointment in the global market, given BTS’s role as the representative of K-pop, some now feel that the criticism was overblown, and confidence in BTS is slowly being restored.
Source: Daum
