BTS Suga’s DUI Case: JTBC Issues Apology for Fake CCTVFootage

BTS member Suga found himself embroiled in a drunk driving controversy after reports emerged that he had collapsed on a sidewalk in Hannam-dong, Seoul. The incident, which occurred earlier this month, saw the K-pop star being assisted by a patrolling police officer who noticed the smell of alcohol. Subsequent tests revealed that Suga had a blood alcohol content of 0.227%, well over the legal limit.

The controversy deepened when Korean news outlet JTBC aired CCTV footage on August 7, 2024, that purportedly showed Suga driving down a main road on an electric scooter. However, it was later revealed through police investigations and a report by another news outlet, DongA Ilbo, that the footage was of another individual entirely, and Suga had actually been driving on the sidewalk.

Following the revelation, JTBC quietly removed the incorrect footage from their YouTube channel and replaced it with the accurate footage provided by DongA Ilbo. Despite this correction, the lack of a public apology and the silent deletion of the original video sparked significant backlash from netizens.

In response to the growing criticism, JTBC finally issued an apology on August 16, 2024, during their nightly news broadcast. The statement acknowledged the error in their reporting and clarified that the man in the original CCTV footage was not Suga. They expressed regret for the confusion and distress caused by the mistake.

Here is the full statement below:

“Our newsroom reported about BTS member Suga’s DUI on August 7. In the first portion of our report, we showed a CCTV footage of an electric scooter passing by the main road. It was later confirmed through police investigations that the male in the video was not Suga. We are sorry for causing confusion”

Netizens, however, remained critical of JTBC's handling of the situation, particularly their delayed apology and the initial failure to correct the error publicly.