BTS SUGA's DUI case: After weeks of harassment, JTBC to face legal sanctions by KCSC for misreporting incident

Part of the world's biggest group - BTS - the seven members are always under intense media scrutiny, with news channels eagerly waiting for any slip-up to pounce on, forgetting the Idols too are humans. They hit the jackpot when rapper SUGA, also known as Min Yoongi and AGUST D, was involved in an incident where he rode an electric scooter, or kickboard, while under the influence of alcohol (DUI). Despite CCTV footage showing that he caused no harm, wore a helmet, followed the designated path for kickboards and pedestrians, and only fell while taking a sharp turn, the media scrutiny has been relentless.

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After generating over 100 articles per agency and extensive TV coverage, with some even spreading fake CCTV footage, the weeks of harassment may be coming to an end. The Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) has issued a warning to JTBC about potential legal sanctions following the broadcaster's misreporting of the details related to the SUGA incident.

KCSC warning:

A media outlet previously reported that the surveillance footage released by JTBC was not of SUGA. Following backlash from BTS fans known as ARMY, JTBC confirmed that the footage did not pertain to the rapper's incident.

On September 2, the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) held a plenary meeting and unanimously decided to summon the JTBC production team to address the misreporting in the August 7 broadcast of JTBC Newsroom. This meeting, which included a Q&A session with the production team, served as a preliminary step before determining the extent of any sanctions.

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The August 7 report, titled "BTS's SUGA, Drunk Driving on Scooter," featured CCTV footage of a scooter on a road, with claims that it depicted SUGA parking his scooter while intoxicated before falling. The broadcast drew multiple complaints for allegedly violating Article 14 of the Broadcasting Review Regulations, which concerns objectivity.

KCSC members were resolute in their condemnation, labelling the incident as clear misinformation. According to AllKpop, KCSC Chairman Ryu Hee Rim said, "Last year, we imposed legal sanctions on broadcasters for citing the Kim Man Bae recordings. Since then, we have consistently enforced severe penalties for unverified information." Commissioner Kim Jung Soo added, "The principle is to avoid airing unverified content. Predictive reporting is a dangerous practice."

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Summoning the production crew frequently results in legal sanctions, which might jeopardize a broadcaster's license renewal or re-approval. However, there are issues regarding the current KCSC's validity, as it operates with only three president-recommended members (Ryu Hee Rim, Kang Kyung Pil, and Kim Jung Soo) rather than the normal nine. Some experts believe that decisions taken by this limited panel, including potential legal sanctions, may be contested in court due to concerns about the constitutionality of Ryu Hee Rim's appointment process, which included members of the previous commission.

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