Currently, Suga (BTS) is facing an extraordinary boycott as a result of a drunk driving incident. The rapper from the popular international band was apprehended for operating an electric scooter while under the influence, registering a blood alcohol level of 0.227%—which is seven times higher than the legal limit.
Suga was apprehended by the police after collapsing outside his residence. As the situation is considered grave, he is currently under investigation for criminal charges and could potentially face imprisonment and hefty penalties.
The incident of Suga falling in front of his house has caused a significant decline in his once successful career. Once a highly acclaimed idol, Suga has now faced disappointment and backlash from the public, with many turning their backs on him. In South Korea, there is a growing movement of opposition towards Suga’s illegal behavior, fueled by accusations of dishonesty in the apology statement released by both the idol and his management company on August 7th.
Furthermore, Suga committed this error during his military service as a public service worker. As a result, the public is calling for Suga to depart from BTS due to the negative impact it has had on the group’s reputation.
Suga is facing severe criticism and is being urged to depart from BTS.
Despite the backlash facing BTS’s main rapper, a portion of the fanbase has only exacerbated the controversy. The devoted fanbase of BTS, known as ARMY, has reacted by taking actions that further inflame the situation, defending their beloved artist by attacking other musicians. On social media, particularly Twitter, members of the BTS fandom have resorted to posting disparaging remarks about other idols in order to divert the focus away from Suga. One of the main targets of this behavior is often BLACKPINK’s Jennie and Rosé.
The BTS fandom created hashtags such as Jennie Challenge and Rosé Challenge, along with sharing photos of Jennie smoking and mentioning the previous scandal involving Rosé and drug use. This angered the BLACKPINK fandom, known as BLINK, as they were dragged into the controversy by BTS fans without any justification. It should be noted that the members of BLACKPINK had no involvement in Suga’s drunk driving incident.
In addition to BLACKPINK, numerous other groups such as NewJeans and aespa have also been caught in this predicament. Many have labeled it as a “crisis for K-pop,”where numerous innocent idols are being dragged into the situation in order to protect one individual.
Within the HYBE corporation, SEVENTEEN, a boy group, was also included in the targeted attacks. A number of accounts from the BTS fandom were found responsible for spreading unfounded allegations in an attempt to damage the reputation of SEVENTEEN members. The use of offensive language towards lead vocalist Seungkwan solely based on a post on social media was especially distressing.
On August 11th, Seungkwan shared a promotional image for a beer brand on Instagram. However, he also included a cautionary message stating, “Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to stroke, brain damage, and memory loss. Consuming alcohol during pregnancy can also cause birth defects.”This is a mandatory requirement when advertising alcoholic beverages in South Korea.
BLACKPINK, along with several other idols, were implicated in the BTS member’s drunk driving scandal and faced harsh criticism and cursing.
On platform X, numerous BTS fans began to target Seungkwan, believing he was referencing Suga’s recent controversy. This caused a heated rivalry between SEVENTEEN and BTS fan communities. At its height, BTS fans used profane language and encouraged others to attack Seungkwan’s Instagram, demanding that he “follow”the late idol Moonbin. This post garnered 600 responses and received thousands of views.
Despite no longer being a member of ASTRO, Moonbin remained one of SEVENTEEN’s lead vocalist Seungkwan’s closest friends. However, in early 2023, Moonbin tragically passed away, leaving behind immense grief for his loved ones. Seungkwan has openly shared his longing for his dear friend.
The extreme statements made by ARMY have surpassed the acceptable boundaries within the K-pop community. The fanaticism of the BTS fandom is being criticized by many as they not only blindly defend their idol, but some members also engage in harmful actions towards innocent idols. This is not a typical fan war between fandoms, but rather a form of cyberbullying that needs to be addressed and eliminated.
Origin: K14
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