JTBC, a South Korean television network, has apologised in public for disseminating CCTV footage of a guy falling off an e-scooter that was mistakenly identified as featuring BTS member Suga.
The rapper was recently arrested by South Korean police for reportedly exceeding the legal limit of intoxication while operating an electronic scooter. He was accused of breaking the Road Traffic Act, and an inquiry is underway. Suga and his label Big Hit Music released separate apologies after the booking. Suga was forced to pay a fine and lost his licence as a result.
On August 7, JTBC released the false CCTV film that showed an unnamed man falling off an e-scooter while going along a major thoroughfare. The network said that Suga was shown in the video.However, JTBC eventually admitted to making a mistake in its article after police investigations showed that Suga had been using his scooter on a pedestrian walkway. But the network would eventually come under fire from internet users and fans for misrepresenting Suga and failing to issue a public apology.
JTBC has since issued an apology.
JTBC APOLOGIZES FOR SPREADING MISINFORMATION ABOUT SUGA:
— moni⁷ 𖠌 (@sevenrchive) August 16, 2024
👤 … a CCTV footage of him riding an electric scooter was aired, and a police investigation confirmed that the man in the video was not BTS' Suga. We apologize for the confusion. pic.twitter.com/j6k8VIdnpC
In other news, all the members of K-pop sensation BTS have officially enlisted for military service, with a reunion not on the cards until at least 2025.
Jin became the first member to return after completing 18 months of mandatory service on June 12.
The band is adored globally, and estimated to contribute nearly £4bn to the South Korean economy each year.
All seven members have previously asked fans not to visit the military bases, though hundreds of hardcore fans have defied their wishes.
Why do BTS members have to enlist in the military?
In South Korea, it is the law that all able-bodied male citizens have to serve in the army for 18 to 21 months by the age of 28 because the country is still technically at war with its hostile neighbour, North Korea.
There has been a fierce debate over whether BTS, arguably South Korea's most influential cultural export, should have to serve. There have previously been exemptions granted to Olympic medallists and classical musicians.
The BTS members had previously been granted exemptions to defer their enlistments until they turned 30 after receiving an Order of Cultural Merit in 2018 by then-president Moon Jae-in. But lawmakers stopped short of exempting artists entirely.
When did the first member enlist?
Jin was the first BTS member to enlist in the military. The oldest member of the group turned 30 in December 2022, which is the age cap for the mandatory listing.
The three other BTS members have already started their mandatory service, starting with Jin in December 2022, J-Hope in April 2023, and Suga in September 2023.
When do they return?
A typical enlistment in South Korea is one-and-a-half years. The band’s management said last year that BTS would reconvene “around 2025”.
See below for the expected dates of the BTS members’ return:
Jin: enlisted in December 2022, returned in June 2024
J-Hope: enlisted in April 2023, expected to return in October 2024
Suga: enlisted in September 2023, expected to return in March 2025
RM: enlisted on December 11 2023, expected to return in June 2025
Jimin: enlisted on December 2023, expected to return in June 2025
Jungkook: enlisted in December 2023, expected to return in June 2025
V: enlisted in December 2023, expected to return in June 2025
What does military service entail?
The band members will receive five weeks of combat training before being assigned to specific units and duties.
Currently, Suga is fulfilling his requirements as a social service agent, while the rest of the group will serve in the army.
The Military Manpower Administration has said the singers will go through the same process as other South Korean males conscripted for service.
How many countries have military service?
There are around 85 countries worldwide that have some form of obligatory military training, including Israel, Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Brazil, and the Koreas.
The United States had mandatory military service until 1973. But an act of Congress could still reinstate the draft in case of a national emergency.
