On August 7th in Hannam-dong, Yongsan District, Seoul, Suga was apprehended by police for riding an electric scooter while intoxicated and subsequently falling off. He addressed the incident on a fan communication platform, clarifying that he was attempting to park the scooter outside his residence when a nearby police officer administered a breathalyzer test. This resulted in the revocation of his license and a fine being imposed.
Nonetheless, as seen in CCTV footage released on the 14th, Suga was riding on the sidewalk with an electric scooter when he fell while making a turn towards the entrance of his residential complex. Shortly after, a patrolling police unit noticed him, approached Suga, confirmed his intoxication, and administered a breathalyzer test.
Despite Suga’s explanation, it seems that the incident did not take place while he was parking in front of his house.
According to a police official who spoke to Sports Kyunghyang, the key factor is whether the location was considered a road or not. If the incident occurred in an apartment complex or a residential area with a barrier, it would not be classified as a road. While fines or penalties may still be issued, administrative actions such as license suspension or revocation would not be applicable in non-road areas.
It appears that Suga was trying to minimize the severity of the situation by leaving out certain details, like being drunk while riding on the sidewalk. Driving under the influence, whether in a vehicle, motorcycle, electric scooter, or electric kickboard, is against the law and can lead to fines or punishments.
Despite Big Hit Music, Suga’s agency, denying allegations of downplaying the incident by referring to his vehicle as an “electric kickboard”in their apology, it seems that their description of the incident as occurring “while parking in front of the house”was an attempt to minimize the severity of the situation. However, it should be noted that the incident actually took place on the sidewalk before entering the residential complex, and the use of the term “kickboard”may have been a mistake.
A police official clarified that the distinction between an electric kickboard and an electric scooter is crucial in this case. Both offenses warrant administrative repercussions such as suspension or revocation of a license, but riding a kickboard would only result in a fine, while riding a scooter could potentially lead to a criminal record. As Suga’s blood alcohol level was above 0.2%, if he was operating a scooter, he could be subject to punishment of 2 to 5 years in prison or a fine of 10 to 20 million KRW according to Article 148-2, Paragraph 3, Item 1 of the Road Traffic Act.
According to the official, the evidence from statements made to the police and CCTV footage strongly suggests that Suga deliberately made false statements in order to evade criminal and administrative consequences. This action may have obstructed the police investigation and impeded the legal proceedings, potentially resulting in serious consequences.
The information was obtained from the news source Nate, found at https://news.nate.com/view/20240814n19951?mid=n1008.
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