A court in Seoul has fined BTS band member Suga KRW15 million ($11,500) for driving an electric scooter while under the influence of alcohol.
The matter, which has had political ramifications within Korea and stirred up different groups of fandom, started with Seoul police taking Suga (real name Min Yoon-gi, stage name Agust D) in for questioning on Aug. 6 after he fell to the ground while driving an electric scooter near his home.
Suga himself was the first to break news. He used the Weverse fan platform built by agency Hybe Corp. to own up to the incident and apologize for letting people down.
Korean media have reported that his blood alcohol concentration was measured at 0.227%, far exceeding the 0.08 percent threshold at which he could have his driving license canceled.
Later, it was revealed that Suga had been given a “summary indictment.” In Korea, the summary indictment system is used for minor offenses and, according to the Yonhap news agency, sees a court “impose a fine or confiscation through an expedited process without a full trial.”
It is now reported that the Seoul Western District Court imposed a fine on Friday of exactly the amount that state prosecutors had requested. Suga can challenge the sentence by filing for a full trial within seven days of the court’s decision, according to Yonhap.
Because of the star’s prominence, the DUI has attracted vast amounts of media coverage, some of it seemingly based on information leaks from the police and other parts of it speculation.
The frenzy has raised questions about Korean police’s use of “a press line” – a press scrum or perp walk-type of public shaming that takes place before a suspect is convicted – as well as the unrealistically high standards to which Korean media and entertainment stars are expected to behave, even in their private lives.
In January this year, “Parasite” director Bong Joon-ho organized a press conference to warn against police tactics, media and social media pressure following the death of actor Lee Sun-kyun by suicide after a prolonged investigation. Lee’s life and work are to be celebrated at the Busan International Film Festival, which kicks off on Wednesday.
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