On August 8th, a video titled “120,000 Pledge! I’ll Enjoy Eating Ramen Today!” was uploaded to the YouTube channel “SsookSsook”.
In the video, Yang Se-chan celebrated reaching 120,000 views by doing a ramen mukbang. While drinking beer from a brand that sponsored the video, he mentioned, “I rode a kickboard here. Since I have some money today, I’ll call a substitute driver to take me home.” He emphasized, “Drunk driving is not allowed.”
Yang Se-chan’s comment reminded viewers of BTS’s Suga’s recent drunk driving incident, making it a hot topic online. Although the video was likely filmed before the incident, the timing was noted as being miraculous by many.
Suga was booked on suspicion of drunk driving near Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul on the night of August 6th. He was found after falling off his vehicle, with a blood alcohol level reportedly over the legal limit for license revocation (over 0.08%).
Suga issued an apology through Weverse, stating, “After drinking alcohol for dinner last night, I got home by riding an electric kickboard. I violated the Road Traffic Law due to my light thought that the distance was short and not realizing that using an electric kickboard while under the influence of alcohol is prohibited.“
His agency BigHit Music also issued an apology regarding the incident, saying, “We apologize for BTS member Suga’s electric kickboard incident.” However, there was speculation that the vehicle in question was closer to an “electric scooter” than an “electric kickboard” based on police reports and CCTV footage. This led to suspicions that the term “kickboard” was used to downplay the incident.
In response, the agency explained, “We described the vehicle as an ‘electric kickboard’ based on our understanding of the product as a kickboard with a seat. After further investigation, we realized that classification can vary based on the product’s performance and specifications, which also affects the scope of responsibility for the incident. There was no intention to downplay the matter.”
Meanwhile, Suga has been serving as a public service worker since September last year and is expected to be discharged in June next year.
