Suga, e-scooters and Korean law: What you need to know before you ride

While the Suga's drunk-driving incident shocked fans worldwide, with some even calling for the singer to leave the group, it has brought to light the safety concerns surrounding electric scooter usage in Korea.

On the left, photo of Suga, and left, people ride electronic scooters on the prohibited middle of the road. [JOONGANG ILBO]

BTS's Suga recently made headlines and faced criticism for an unexpected reason: riding an electric scooter while drunk. While the globally successful boy band member's drunk-driving incident shocked fans worldwide, with some even calling for the singer to leave the group, it has brought to light the safety concerns surrounding electric scooters, or e-scooters, and the need for stricter regulations and enforcement.

"I find e-scooters extremely dangerous," said Lee Jun-hyeong, a 28-year-old office worker who was hospitalized with a broken arm and rib after falling from an e-scooter due to a pothole. "I believe if stricter regulations and enforcement are not implemented, they should be banned."

In the singer's initial apology letter on K-pop fan community platform Weverse on Aug. 7, Suga explained that he was using a stand-up electronic scooter — a statement reiterated by his agency, BigHit Music. The star also said he was "not aware" that driving an e-scooter under the influence of alcohol was "illegal."

Three police officers are seen approaching Min Yoon-gi, known by his stage name Suga, in Yongsan District, central Seoul on Aug. 6. The video clip was released by local newspaper Dong-A Ilbo on Aug. 14. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

However, police and CCTV footage released by local media indicated that the vehicle was actually a seated model with a speed of up to 30 kilometers per hour (18.6 miles per hour), changing its classification to that of a motorcycle.

Given that the 31-year-old singer had a blood alcohol level of 0.227 percent — well above the legal limit of 0.08 percent — and if police questioning confirms his device as a motorcycle, he could face imprisonment for up to two years or a fine of up to 10 million won ($7,231).

This penalty is far heftier than the usual punishment for drunk-driving a standard e-scooter: a fine of under 100,000 won and license revocation.

Suga's incident exposed not only the complexities of vehicle classifications but also a lack of public awareness of the laws related to e-scooters.

E-scooters and the law

Korean law categorizes electric scooters as personal mobility (PM) devices, electric vehicles with a maximum speed of 25 kilometers per hour and a weight of up to 30 kilograms (66 pounds). Just like other electronic modes of transportation, operating a PM device under the influence of alcohol is prohibited.

While Suga's case did not result in a fatal accident or property damage, accidents involving electric scooters have been increasing in Korea.

The number of reported accidents involving PM devices hit 2,389 in 2023, an approximately 20-fold increase from 117 cases in 2017, according to the Korea Transportation Safety Authority (Kotsa).

Injuries and fatalities similarly spiked, from 238 injuries and four deaths in 2018 to 2,622 injuries and 24 deaths last year.

According to the Korea Road Traffic Authority on Aug. 5, the death rate for accidents involving PM devices was 5.6 percent, which is 4.3 percentage points higher than the 1.3 percent death rate for accidents involving all types of vehicles. Collisions with cars account for the majority of deadly PM device-related accidents, representing 46 percent.

The current law requires individuals to be at least 16 years old with a motorcycle license, or 18 years old with a car driver's license to legally ride electric scooters. Despite this, many underage students without proper licenses can be frequently seen weaving through streets.

In 2023 alone, police recorded 20,068 cases of teenagers riding PM devices without the necessary licenses, a significant rise from 3,531 cases in 2021.

According to a paper released by Kotsa's Traffic Safety Research on Aug. 10, which analyzed 5,860 accidents involving PM devices from 2017 to 2022, 34.6 percent of cases involved riders without licenses. Among the accidents involving unlicensed riders, 67.6 percent were individuals aged 20 years or younger.

The minimal fine of up to 100,000 won for riding an e-scooter without a license further exacerbates the issue.

Helmet rules ignored

A man rides an electronic scooter without a helmet in Suwon, Gyeonggi. [NEWS1]

Suga was wearing a helmet when he fell to the ground as he tried to park. However, this is not the case for many e-scooter riders.

Helmet use in Korea has been mandatory since 2021, but statistics from Kotsa reveal that helmet use among riders was only 15.1 percent in 2023, down 4.1 percentage points from the previous year. Part of this could be that the fine for this discretion is only around 20,000 won.

Additionally, a study led by Prof. Choi Joon-ho at Chonnam National University Hospital (CNUH) disclosed that among the 108 patients who visited CNUH due to e-scooter accidents from April 2018 to October 2021, 85 percent, or 92 patients, were not wearing helmets during their accidents.

Many riders point to inconvenience as the reason for not using them.

"It's uncomfortable to carry a helmet for short trips," said the 28-year-old Lee.

Park Pan-yeol, secretary general of the Korea Personal Mobility Industry Association (Kpmia), says that frequent use of e-scooters during short commutes further discourages helmet use.

"People mostly use scooters for short morning commutes of less than 2 kilometers [1.2 miles]," said Park. "They do not want to mess up their hair by wearing helmets."

Some rental companies provided helmets with their e-scooters in the past but discontinued the practice after 90 percent of the helmets were either lost or discarded.

Infrequent enforcement and occasional negligence by authorities has also further discouraged compliance.

"I've seen police officers look at riders without helmets but ignore them," said a 30-year-old office worker, surnamed Park.

Unlicensed young people and scooters

The recent drunk-driving incident also raises concerns over the already prevalent issue of teenagers riding e-scooters illegally.

In June, a husband and wife in their 60s were enjoying a peaceful evening walk by Ilsan Lake Park in Goyang, Gyeonggi, when two high school students riding a single e-scooter without proper licenses plowed into the couple from behind. The couple were rushed to hospital, but the wife sustained serious head injuries and passed away nine days later.

The students were not only unlicensed, but two students were riding one scooter, heightening the level of danger.

An image circulating online shows a couple riding an e-scooter the wrong way down a street without any protective gear, which has been receiving widespread criticism. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

"I've seen many times two or three people riding on one scooter together," said an office worker in his 20s, surnamed Choi.

"Some of my friends ride e-scooters even though they know it's illegal," said 13-year-old Choi Ji-hoo, a middle school student in Jung District, central Seoul.

Two men illegally ride an e-scooter together in Hongdae, a lively suburb in Mapo District, western Seoul. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Teachers also remain concerned over young people's use of e-scooters. Kwon Nam-hoon, a high school teacher in Nonsan, South Chungcheong, says stronger enforcement is needed.

"None of my students said they have been caught by the police, although many ride them without proper licenses," said Kwon, highlighting inadequate enforcement.

Kwon said that at his school, "those who get caught riding e-scooters illegally are given penalties." He added that such penalties are "effective at preventing accidents among teenagers."

Moreover, current Korean law only permits scooters to be used in cycle lanes or on the far right side of the road. However, in June, middle school students rode an e-scooter together in the middle of the road, eventually crashing into a car at an intersection in Okcheon County, North Chungcheong. One of the students died.

"I knew that e-scooters shouldn't be ridden on sidewalks, but I didn't know they shouldn't be ridden in the middle of the road until Suga's case," said office worker Choi.

E-scooters left everywhere

Another emerging issue with e-scooters is their tendency to be left carelessly in locations after use, which has become a major concern for both residents and local governments in Korea.

Without designated parking stations, these scooters are often abandoned in the middle of roads, blocking sidewalks and entrances to public places like subway stations.

E-scooters block the entrance of a staircase in Hanyang University in Seongdong District, eastern Seoul. [JOONGANG ILBO]

This has not only caused inconveniences but also fueled public dissatisfaction, worsening negative perceptions of e-scooters.

To respond to increased complaints by residents, cities in Gyeonggi — including Suwon, Bucheon and Hanam — established KakaoTalk channels where residents can report improperly parked scooters. E-scooter rental companies or towing services then tow the reported scooters.

In January, Songpa District in eastern Seoul implemented the first integrated shared mobility reporting system, which allows residents to easily file complaints regarding abandoned scooters through a centralized system.

"We received more than 2,300 complaints up until July this year," said Choi Yoon-sil, an official from the Songpa District Office.

Who is to blame?

Critics point to e-scooter rental companies for the rise in violations, as many do not strictly enforce license registrations for riders. Out of the major South Korean operators — SWING, GCOO and Beam Mobility — only SWING requires driver's license registrations for minors.

Also, those aged 14 or above can register and log into many rental applications — including GCOO and Kickgoing — despite being younger than the minimum legal age to ride e-scooters.

While many people use e-scooters for short trips, there is currently no mandatory education on e-scooter regulations to help riders use them safely, which has sometimes led to fatal accidents.

Police officers of Gwangju Nambu Police Station holds classes to educate students on safety measures of electronic scooters at Jinnam Elementary School in Nam Distract, Gwangju, on July 25. [YONHAP]

To enhance traffic law awareness and promote safety among vulnerable road users, the North Chungcheong Office of Education conducts online education classes on proper PM device use to students, parents and school staff who wish to participate.

As speed has been a significant factor in causing accidents, Daegu city reduced the highest e-scooter speed from 25 kilometers per hour to 20 kilometers per hour last December.

This change proved to be quite successful. In the first half of the year, the city reported a 29 percent drop in accidents and a 28 percent reduction in injuries compared to the same period last year.

On July 8, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced it would conduct a trial to cap the maximum speed of e-scooters from 25 kilometers to 20 kilometers per hour. Ten rental companies will participate in this trial across major cities, including Seoul and Busan, from July to December.

Since last December, private e-scooter rental company SWING also adjusted the highest speed to 20 kilometers per hour for its 80,000 devices, and GCOO announced on July 15 that it would install helmet storage boxes on its e-scooters in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi.

Additional measures

Despite ongoing efforts, organizations are calling for further action to create a safer environment for both pedestrians and e-scooter riders.

Kpmia stresses the need for dedicated lanes for personal mobility and devices to enhance safety for both riders and pedestrians,

Many riders use bike lanes for riding but currently, 75 percent of bike lanes are shared with pedestrian sidewalks, contributing to increased risks and conflict with pedestrians.

The association also called for "stronger safety campaigns that encourage users to ride safely for a better e-scooter environment."

Suga said in his apology letter that his actions were a decision he took "too lightly," and that although "nobody was hurt and property wasn't damaged," he acknowledges that "this is all my fault."

While some netizens argue that the criticism he is facing is excessive, 25-year-old office worker Kim says that Suga's case serves as an important "reminder that stricter e-scooter regulations are necessary." "I think Suga should face severe punishment to set an example for others," Kim said.

BY WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]