Suga leaves Yongsan Police Station after 3 hours of questioning over alleged DUI

Suga of boy band BTS left Yongsan Police Station in central Seoul on Friday after three hours of questioning over an alleged DUI case.

BTS member Suga enters the Yongsan Police Station in central Seoul to be questioned by police on his DUI allegation on Aug. 23. [NEWS1]

Suga of boy band BTS left Yongsan Police Station in central Seoul on Friday after three hours of questioning over an alleged DUI case.

The 31-year-old BTS member, whose real name is Min Yoon-gi, arrived at the police station at 7:45 p.m. on Friday, 17 days after he was caught driving an electrical scooter under the influence.

Suga apologized once again to the reporters after the questioning, saying, "I am very sorry to have disappointed everyone with my wrongdoing."

"I am so remorseful of my actions and I regret it so much," he said, again keeping mum on reporters' follow-up questions on what he told the police or the reasons for not coming to the police sooner.

He apologized before entering the police station for interrogation.

"I am sorry for the big disappointment I have become to so many people and fans," the BTS member told reporters, bowing his head down in front of the camera. "I will faithfully cooperate with the investigation. Again, I am truly sorry."

BTS member Suga enters the Yongsan Police Station in central Seoul to be questioned by police on his DUI allegation on Aug. 23. [NEWS1]

Suga was investigated for the first time on Aug. 6 for allegedly driving an electric scooter under the influence of alcohol in Yongsan District, central Seoul, the same day.

Suga and his agency BigHit Music came under fire for allegedly attempting to minimize the harm in the DUI case, stating that the singer was driving an electric stand-up scooter instead of a seated electric scooter in their apology the day after the accident. The agency later stated on Aug. 8 that it "will fully abide by the responsibilities depending on how authorities decide to categorize the vehicle."

Suga’s blood alcohol level when he was caught driving under the influence was 0.227 percent, high enough to qualify for a revocation of his driver’s license — a punishment imposed from a threshold of 0.08 percent.

The singer is currently fulfilling his mandatory military service as a social service agent, a role that typically involves a regular daily work schedule, allowing him to return home after work hours. The BTS member is scheduled to complete his service in June next year.

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]