The recent incident involving BTS member Suga has sparked significant controversy and backlash. Over a week ago, Suga was involved in a drunk driving case after he fell off his electric scooter near Nine One Hannam, a residential area housing several BTS members. Following the incident, several protest trucks with messages demanding Suga’s withdrawal from BTS were spotted on the streets of Seoul, particularly around significant locations like HYBE, Nine One Hannam, and other bustling areas.
The messages on these trucks were harsh, calling for Suga to leave the group and accusing him of deceiving fans. This led to an organized campaign by some individuals, as confirmed by a user on X (formerly Twitter), who shared details about the fundraiser that supported the truck and flower wreath campaigns targeting Suga. These trucks circulated through various key areas in Seoul, including Gangnam Station and Yongsan Station.
In response to this backlash, many BTS fans, known as ARMY, rallied in support of Suga, trending hashtags like #SugaStaysChallenge and #SugaStays on social media. Fans expressed their frustration over the protest trucks and defended Suga, highlighting that the police are already conducting an investigation and that the actions of the protestors were unhelpful and damaging.
The incident that triggered this situation occurred when Suga was returning home on August 6th, driving his electric scooter while intoxicated. His blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was reported to be 0.227%, significantly above the legal limit. Both Suga and his agency, BigHit Music, issued apologies on Weverse the following day. The police have since opened a criminal investigation into the matter.
CCTV footage released by DongA Ilbo showed Suga riding the electric scooter before falling near Nine One Hannam. Police officers nearby assisted him after the fall. BigHit Music later confirmed that the person in the footage was indeed Suga, who is currently serving as a social service agent as part of his mandatory military service in South Korea.
I seriously mean it. You’re going nowhere, Min Yoongi. BTS is 7 or nothing.#Suga_stays_challenge#BesideSUGA#ItsGonnaBeAlright#다괜찮아질거야#BTSisSeven#SugaStays https://t.co/zIApkZm7EY pic.twitter.com/5D6mFrwfQY
— muti ⁷ | (kinda on and off) (@_seesaw93) August 17, 2024
Please please please retweet and reply!
We love you and trust you, Yoongi! ARMY are right behind you!#Suga_stays_challenge #BesideSUGA #ItsGonnaBeAlright #다괜찮아질거야 #BTSisSeven #SugaStayspic.twitter.com/uS1nyL7bW7
— Amy (@Aamyungv) August 16, 2024
