BTS SUGA's media treatment: How former baseball player's drunk driving's minimal coverage and 'half-baked' apologies from news outlets sparked ARMY's fury
The CCTV footage showed that Min Yoongi caused no harm, wore a helmet, followed the designated path, and fell only while taking a sharp turn.
Updated : August 19, 2024 01:08 PM ISTThe CCTV footage showed that Min Yoongi caused no harm, wore a helmet, followed the designated path, and fell only while taking a sharp turn.
BTS SUGA
Does South Korea dislike or even hate BTS and its members? The past few weeks have been filled with drama regarding the coverage of rapper SUGA, a member of the world's biggest boy band, BTS. Min Yoongi, also known as AGUST D, was involved in an incident where he rode an electric scooter or kickboard under the influence of alcohol (DUI).
While CCTV footage showed that he caused no harm, wore a helmet, followed the designated path, and fell only while taking a sharp turn; media scrutiny was relentless. Some outlets even used fake CCTV footage to tarnish the idol's reputation.
However, the fandom ARMY soon realized that the hostility was primarily directed at the BTS member. Amid all the allegations against SUGA, news emerged about Jang Won-sam, a former baseball player, who also caused a collision while driving under the influence of alcohol.
List of Lies by media proven wrong;
— ⟭BlueeDenise⁷⁼¹⟬ 아포방포💜 (@BlueeDenise) August 18, 2024
*He drove for 2km
->Proven he drove for 500m
*He didnt fall infront of his house
->Proven its the gate of his house
*He drove a motorbike
->Proven he drove a kickboard
*He drove on the road drunk
->Proven he wasnt on the road
*He drove it…
Jang Won-sam's case:
At around 1 PM KST on August 17, Jang Won-sam was reversing in the left-turn lane on a road in Gwangan-dong, Suyeong-gu, Busan, when he collided with a vehicle approaching from behind. Police who arrived at the scene reportedly measured Jang's blood alcohol level, which was high enough to result in the cancellation of his driver’s license.
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Despite this, South Korean publications, which had covered SUGA's incident with over 100 articles per outlet, only briefly reported on Jang Won-sam's apology. This disparity has sparked the fury of ARMY, who are questioning why the South Korean media treated the rapper more harshly than Jang Won-sam.
It doesn't surprise me that the former baseball player is being treated more kindly & fairly than the pop star. 'Manly men' athletes usually are, aren't they? There was a feeding frenzy for the more famous of the two tho based on so many things — the DUI being the least of it.
— Jae-Ha Kim 김재하 (@GoAwayWithJae) August 18, 2024
Why is there not a frenzy of news articles surrounding this DUI incident and rear-end collision with Jang Won-sam? Where are the 400+ articles and televised news reports? pic.twitter.com/md5CnobfSb
— Lady Hangups ⁷ (@ladyhangups) August 17, 2024
So today, Korean sportsman Jang Won-sam, has been caught in a DUI. A REAL DUI. He was driving A CAR while drunk and he caused a car accident. I repeat, HE'S CAUSED A CAR ACCIDENT. He had his license revoked and that's it. Wow. South Korea is such an interesting country 🤔 https://t.co/BFtNKWAGu9
— L♀️🥢 (@sofie724148) August 17, 2024
Are you telling me that baseball player Jang Won-sam caused a minor accident due to drunk driving??
— 𝗧𝗮𝗧𝗮⁷✿ 방탄소년단 (@TaTaKallie_AM) August 17, 2024
SK is super strict about it isn't @JTBC_news @cnni @BBCWorld how interesting 🤔
JTBC Newsroom's apology:
What fueled the outrage further was that JTBC Newsroom, which had mistakenly aired incorrect CCTV footage, subsequently issued a half-hearted apology.
The channel admitted their mistake, stating, "Our newsroom reported about BTS member SUGA's DUI on August 7. In the first portion of our report, we showed 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."
Not just JTBC Newsroom, even KOREA NOW media outlet issued an apology. They said, "We at KOREA NOW apologize to BTS Suga and viewers for mistakenly linking the star's e-scooter DUI incident with the wrong CCTV footage. We would also like to inform our audience that the news report has been removed from our channel as of Aug. 19. As we acknowledge the importance of accurate reporting, particularly when it involves public figures, KOREA NOW will pay closer attention to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. Thank You".
However, ARMY is unhappy with how South Korea has treated one of the country’s biggest bands, which not only contributes to the economy but also boosts tourism. Many fans took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to question the media outlets and their apparent bias.
we dont accept jtbc apology cause where is the deep bow pic.twitter.com/EOIInOHkwO
— travis🧸 (@irvngu) August 16, 2024
Well well well… pic.twitter.com/6wAjXPCJGb
— Strong Power, Thank You! ⁷ (@KakePop7) August 19, 2024
JTBC will be investigated by Korea Communications Standards Commission, and the stated reason is the fake Yoongi CCTV aired in Newsroom.
— gomooshin⁷ (@taesoothe) August 18, 2024
There are expected disciplinary actions, possibly sanctions/punishment.https://t.co/wkg4QZJnJs pic.twitter.com/uMQUIuVHE5
Korea Now has issued an apology for the disinformation they spread related to the incident.
— MinSugaIndia 🇮🇳 |SLOW| (@minsugaindia) August 19, 2024
🔗https://t.co/dhIEVA7Qev pic.twitter.com/V7KIdAV0UU
Anti-fans, who seized the opportunity to send protest trucks and wreaths to HYBE, demanding SUGA's removal from BTS, proved futile as the agency reaffirmed that the group would remain intact.
Meanwhile, international fans have rallied in support of SUGA and the other six members—Kim Namjoon, Kim Seokjin, Jung Hoseok, Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung, and Jeon Jungkook—amid reports that media outlets are attempting to overshadow the incident by trying to post positive coverage of the other members.