K-pop star Suga 'fined and loses licence after crashing scooter under the influence of alcohol'

A member of a K-pop supergroup says he has been fined after he failed a breathalyser test following a fall from his e-scooter Seoul last week.

Suga from BTS was discovered on the ground in Seoul after an accident, according to South Korean media.

A breathalyser test carries on the day of the accident on August 2 revealed his blood- alcohol concentration was 0.227%, significantly higher than the 0.08% level that warrants the revocation of a driving licence, the Yonhap news agency said.

Under South Korean traffic laws, drink-drivers with a blood-alcohol level of 0.2% or above can be can be fined between 10m won (£5,710) and 20m won. At the upper end of the potential sentence is imprisonment for two to five years.

Drink-driving on an e-scooter carries the same penalties as comparable offences committed while driving a car.

In an apology posted on X the day after the alleged incident he said he had been fined and his driving licence taken away.

The K-pop star also issued an apology on Weverse, an online fan platform, saying he was driving after consuming alcohol at dinner.

He wrote: “I come to you with a very heavy heart and deep apologies for disappointing you with this regrettable incident,” Suga wrote on Weverse.

“I thought complacently that it was a short distance, not realizing I was not allowed to ride the electric scooter while intoxicated, breaking the road traffic act.”

Suga, who has been performing a civilian form of national service instead of joining the military, also reportedly told police he had drunk only a single glass of beer before the accident.

BTS members are currently on a break from the band duties as they carry out their national service.

They are expected to return to music next year after all seven members have completed their national service.

South Korea requires men to complete 18-21 months in the military. Suga, whose real name is Min Yoon-gi, is reportedly carrying out civilian duties because a shoulder injury exempts him from military activity.