While a portion of fans expressed disappointment and even called for Suga to leave the group, others said that Suga had been subjected to excessive criticism, and they wished for Suga to resolve the situation quickly. privately.
Suga was arrested by the police for driving an electric vehicle while drunk on August 6, with a blood alcohol concentration of up to 0.227%, the highest among Kpop artists.
This news made many fans extremely disappointed.
A part of BTS fans expressed their discontent by sending wreaths and protest trucks to HYBE group headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, asking Suga to leave the group.
According to press reports, the protest was a spontaneous action of individual fans and not representative of the entire BTS fan community.
On the contrary, international fans expressed concern for Suga's health, calling on everyone to create space so that the male singer is not under excessive stress.
"I am concerned about Suga's mental and emotional health, given what he has revealed regarding past struggles with mental health that he has faced, especially considering what happened recently with Lee Sun Kyun" - Cassie Stewart, a BTS fan in Connecticut (USA), said.
Actor Lee Sun Kyun was found dead in his car days after a 19-hour interrogation with police over drug use allegations.
Mary Lutkus, another BTS fan in the US shared a similar opinion: "There is no doubt that this is a crime and the legal consequences should be commensurate with the crime. But what is shocking and Anger is the cruel criticism that the Korean public seems to like to direct at any celebrity.”
Music critic Lim Hee Yun points out that Korean fans' high expectations for Kpop artists are deeply rooted in Kpop culture:
"International fans need to understand that the foundation of Kpop is built on extremely high ethical standards. Without these strict expectations, the unique appeal of Kpop would not exist" - he said.
The critic also emphasized the seriousness of drunk driving in Korea, especially when it involves famous figures like BTS.
"In South Korea, the public reacts particularly violently to drunk driving, as seen in the case of trot singer Kim Ho Joong. Laws such as the Yoon Chang Ho Act reflect the severity importance of this issue.
BTS, as artists who have raised the nation's prestige, must adhere to a higher ethical standard, even higher than Olympic champions. This is why the public reaction is so intense" - the critic stated his opinion.
The Yoon Chang Ho Act was enacted after a tragic traffic accident that occurred in 2018 in Busan city, when a 22-year-old man named Yoon Chang Ho died after being hit by a drunk driver. Right.
