Is BTS' SUGA used as bait? Media silence on anti-corruption officer's death leading probe against South Korea's First Lady raises questions by ARMY

Rapper SUGA from the world's biggest boy band BTS is currently under investigation for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI). While the police investigation is ongoing, the media trial began immediately, with antis and fans of other groups using this moment to tarnish the reputation of the group. A significant role in this has been played by Korean media, which has circulated several news reports about SUGA and BTS, even when those reports were proven false on numerous occasions.

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While the group's fandom, ARMY, has been posting trends on X (formerly known as Twitter) to clarify the situation, the Korean media, which has been exploiting the story for over a week, has not stopped covering anything related to the rapper, even his serving time in the military. 

So, when the news broke about a senior official of South Korea's state-run Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) being found dead under mysterious circumstances, it was surprising to see only a few reports make noise on the matter and was immediately overshadowed by more coverage of SUGA.

Anti-Corruption officer's death?

The official, Mr Kim, had led high-profile and politically sensitive investigations, including those involving First Lady Kim Keon-hee and former opposition leader Lee Jae Myung. On Thursday (August 8) at around 9:50 AM, Mr. Kim was found dead in his apartment in Sejong City. His body was discovered by someone who had come to his home after he failed to report to work and could not be reached by phone. A suicide note was found with the deceased.

As the acting director of the ACRC's anti-corruption bureau, Kim had overseen several significant investigations until recently. He was responsible for looking into opposition leader Lee Jae Myung's use of a helicopter following a knife attack in January and was also involved in the probe into First Lady Kim Keon Hee’s infamous luxury handbag scandal.

Is SUGA used as bait?

Amidst such gripping news, it's striking that a rapper falling from his e-scooter has dominated Korean media coverage. ARMY believes that whenever a political corruption scandal emerges, celebrities are thrust into the spotlight to distract the public from the real issues at hand.

About SUGA's DUI:

On Tuesday, August 6 (KST), SUGA, aka Min Yoongi, was booked for driving under the influence (DUI) after being caught operating an electric scooter while intoxicated. The case was further complicated by reports suggesting that the scooter might not meet the criteria for a personal mobility device. 

While many fake news reports and CCTV footage circulated online, claiming that the rapper lied in his apology, new videos have emerged supporting his account of the incident.

In South Korea, electric kickboards require a valid license for rental, and riders must follow traffic laws similar to those for motor vehicles. SE Daily reports that the fatality rate for e-scooter accidents is 5.6%, which is 4.3 times higher than the overall traffic accident fatality rate.

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