The end of BTS's best rapper is coming

After the scandal of being investigated for drunk driving, Suga continued to be the focus of criticism for his bad attitude during his time as a social worker. A group of BTS fans sent flower baskets to Hybe headquarters asking the rapper to proactively leave the group.

Surrounded by gossip

In recent days, the reputation of the rapper considered the best in BTS, Suga, almost hit rock bottom with the drunk driving scandal. Despite his apology, the 1993-born male idol could not calm the anger of the Korean public, and was even criticized more fiercely when there were signs of lying to downplay the seriousness of the incident.

More importantly, the old scandal has not yet subsided, Suga continues to be pushed to the forefront with new accusations.

Suga was accused of neglecting his civic duty after his drunk driving scandal. Photo: Getty Images.

July 13, newspaper Sports Kyung Hyang There have been complaints against the owner of the hit Daechwita not taking his community service seriously. Suga did not have to enlist like the other members of BTS, instead become social workers.

“Suga never attended the mandatory 4-day-5-night class. He was so bad that the instructor scolded him to his face, but Suga just nodded and continued looking at his phone before going to sleep. He acted like a class bully trying to assert his dominance at the beginning of the school year,” the witness said.

Another petition asks local authorities to investigate Suga’s time as a social worker and take strict action if violations are found. The petitioner sees the rapper’s drunk driving as a result of his poor work ethic.

The news quickly became a hot topic in showbiz South Korea. Many felt this was the last straw for Suga, threatening to end the successful career of a globally famous Kpop idol. Many netizens called for Suga to actively withdraw from BTS.

Viewers commented: “Okay, let’s dig up everything in his past. You should have left while we were still saying nice things,” “Although we need to investigate the allegations about his work ethics, the fact that he came to work drunk the next day tells you all you need to know,” “At this point, shouldn’t Suga leave BTS? He’s a stain on the group,” “I feel ashamed for him,” “He’s so lucky to be a part of BTS. I wonder what they saw that made him a trainee,” “This is disappointing. You did well wearing clothes that weren’t meant for you. Now take them off and leave.”

Not stopping there, on August 13, many flower baskets were sent to the headquarters. Hybe, BTS's management company. Each flower basket carries a different message but all have the same purpose of boycotting Suga: "Min Yoongi (Suga's real name) leave! Congratulations on your downfall", "Free BTS", "Kick Min Yoongi out of the group. His downfall is imminent", "Leave the group, Min Yoongi. Don't you feel sorry for the other members?", "Min Yoongi, leave the group to apologize to the other members"...

A long line of flower baskets asking Suga to leave BTS were placed in front of the Hybe headquarters gate.

Behind this action is an anonymous Army (BTS fan community name). This person declared on AllKpop does not represent the entire fan base of the group but is based on the wishes of some individuals.

“We are holding this protest because no action has been taken after Hybe, Big Hit Music, and Suga made false statements,” the anonymous person stressed.

This fan group seems to be referring to Suga's statement that he only drank one glass of beer and that his vehicle was an electric skateboard. However, according to the investigation results, the BTS member's blood alcohol level was 0.227%, eight times higher than the normal limit. In addition, Korean media reported that Suga was riding an electric scooter, not an electric skateboard as stated in his apology statement.

The Army organizers of the protest warned to bring trucks to protest if the company representative did not make an additional statement.

BTS's most serious scandal

Since their debut in 2013, BTS has been involved in many scandals such as suspicions of album sales fraud, songs being banned from broadcasting due to inappropriate language... However, Suga's drunk driving scandal is considered the most serious.

Those who follow Korean showbiz know that along with drugs and school violence, driving under the influence (DUI) is one of the leading causes of Korean stars' quickest disappearance. Before Suga, many names such as actress Kim Sae Ron, Horan (Clazziquai), Lizzy (After School)... could not recover because of DUI.

BTS is facing the most serious scandal of their career.

Not to mention, the Korean online community is notoriously harsh, with extremely high standards for idols and other entertainers. Before being investigated, Suga was known as one of the most talented rappers in Kpop, with a clean personal life. However, all of his efforts over the past 10 years have gone down the drain almost overnight.

On social media, many international audiences defended Suga. They said that the male idol made a mistake and must take responsibility for it, but it was not so bad that it would "sentence him to death". For them, sending a flower basket to threaten Suga and his management company is condemnable.

“These people have been destroying the lives of celebrities due to some bad decisions they made. Everyone makes mistakes but these idols are not given the chance to fix them. I am not surprised that Korean audiences are demanding him to leave the group at this time”, “Netizens and the press seem to have learned nothing from Lee Sun Kyun’s death”, “Why are people calling these people Army? They are not. They are the ones who hope he leaves and BTS falls apart”, “As a non-fan, I do not support Suga leaving the group. I think it is an overreaction by some netizens. If you are civilized, give him a chance to reflect and make amends like anyone can when they make a mistake”, “Real fans will stay and support him. He made a mistake and there will be punishment for him, a driving ban or a fine. However, don't deny that he spent his youth for his fans"... are comments opposing the extremism aimed at Suga.

The impact of Suga's DUI scandal on BTS is unclear. The group is currently on hiatus while most of its members, except for Jin, are serving their mandatory military service. However, the hostility towards Suga from Korean audiences will be a major hindrance to BTS's future comeback as a full seven-member group. Many fans are worried that the group will lose its leading position, which is already at risk due to its long absence from the music market.

In addition, the latest scandal certainly has an impact on Hybe's reputation. Many people commented that the leading entertainment group in Kbiz is increasingly losing its reputation as a series of unfortunate events occur. Before Suga, chairman Bang Si Hyuk caused controversy for appearing in the US with adult entertainment star Juice Seyeon. In addition, we cannot ignore the lawsuit with Min Hee Jin - former CEO of subsidiary Ador...

According to KoreaTimes , shareholders' frustration with Hybe is growing. Most evidently, the group's stock value has nearly halved since June 2023.