Recently, the Indian media outlet India Today published an article titled “BTS Suga‘s controversy a reminder of constant pressure Korean idols live under” which noted that after news broke that Suga was caught driving an electric scooter (under the influence), some people are demanding his immediate departure from the group, even though there was no loss of life or property as a result of the incident.
The outlet pointed out that despite Suga and his agency issuing apologies, the “hate bandwagon” has not subsided, and questioned whether the media has been given a “free pass” to do as they please with Suga.
On August 27 (local time), Elle India published an article titled “Let’s Talk About The Unrealistic Expectations And Scrutiny Faced By K-Pop Idols,” criticizing South Korea for its inhumane treatment of K-pop idols. The article noted that Hollywood or Bollywood celebrities don’t apologize for trivial things like dating someone, gaining weight, or getting married, but in K-pop idol culture, everything is subject to strict scrutiny by the Korean media or fans.
It further stated that when a mistake occurs in K-pop stars’ well-managed public persona, it leads to immediate and intense backlash, harming their personal and professional lives. Korean celebrities’ creative abilities are overshadowed by intense public scrutiny, reducing them to mere subjects of public entertainment and judgment, rather than individuals with personal and professional struggles, said the media site.
The outlet also reported, “the BTS member fell while parking the kickboard in front of his own house, being on the lowest speed, wearing a helmet, and following the designated path marked for kickboards”, adding, “To take a stand for his mistake, the idol also issued multiple public apologies to his fans on social media. The whole situation turned messier when multiple South Korean media platforms made it their portal’s mission to portray SUGA as a nuisance in the group with morphed videos consisting of fake CCTV videos to tarnish his reputation for views and clicks.”
The article criticized, “This is not the first time the Korean media has openly bullied a celebrity when there are bigger issues in the country for them to exercise their power for the greater good.”
Billboard also joined in supporting Suga. In particular, the media outlet reported on Suga’s multiple apologies and stated that they are never disappointed in Suga, at the same time expressed their hope that Suga successfully completes his military service.
On August 22 (local time), the French weekly *Paris Match* published an article titled “Misinformation and Pressure… What’s Happening to BTS’s Suga?” (tentative translation from French) stating, “Suga has been excessively targeted by the Korean media over the past few weeks. He admitted to irresponsibly driving an electric scooter, and while no one denies the risks of driving an electric scooter in the city, it’s hard to understand why the journalists are being so relentless.”
The article emphasized that while Suga’s case is being widely covered in South Korea, it has not attracted much attention overseas.
Meanwhile, on the 30th, the Seoul Yongsan Police Station sent Suga to the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office without detention at around 2 PM on charges of violating the Road Traffic Act for driving under the influence.
Source: Daum
