BTS member SUGA is currently in the midst of controversy after a recent incident involving alcohol and driving. But in response to a question about whether the K-pop star would face any disciplinary action from the military, it was disclosed that he would be spared because of his role as a public servant.
BTS’s Suga will not face any disciplinary punishment, according to information revealed by Kim Jong Chul, the Commissioner of the Military Manpower Administration (MMA), during a National Defense Committee examination of the MMA at the National Assembly on October 11, 2024. The officer clarified that this is because circumstances like these are not covered under military service law. He stated, “I don’t think it’s entirely appropriate that he wasn’t disciplined, but we are providing education and guidance.”
The officer went on to further explain the differences between public service workers and active-duty soldiers, saying that although the law applies differently to the latter group and that active-duty soldiers may be disciplined for infractions like drunk driving even when they are on leave or outside of regular business hours.
Suga was fined 15 million KRW by the Seoul Western District Court on September 27, 2024, for driving while intoxicated and breaking the Road Traffic Act. He was officially accused by Yongsan Police Station with violating the Road Traffic Act by driving while intoxicated, had his license revoked, and was fined. He did, however, offer an apology to the supporters for his careless behavior and a pledge to improve.
SUGA as a public service worker, enrolled in the South Korean military on September 22, 2023, and is scheduled to be released in 2025.
