”BTS” SUGA is blurred out on TV... Meanwhile, many in the entertainment industry support him... Divided reactions

Amidst the growing uproar over SUGA of the South Korean boy group BTS, who was charged with driving an electric scooter while intoxicated, the entertainment industry is also continuing to react in opposite directions.

　On the 26th (today), the side of tvN Story's variety programme ‘Chairman 4’ released an advance video of the Hanbok designer Park Seul-nyeo's researcher section, which will be broadcast on that day, through the official YouTube channel.

　In this video, behind Park Seul-Nyeo, photos of top stars wearing the hanbok she made were highlighted. ‘BTS’ and TV Chosun's top seven trot singers from the trot audition ‘Mr Trot’ were represented.

　However, SUGA and trot singer Kim Ho Jun appeared in the video in a mosaicked state, attracting a lot of attention. Unfortunately, both were recently investigated and tried by the police on suspicion of drink-driving.

　SUGA, who is currently enlisted as a community service officer, was recently suspected of drunk driving after he was found by police to have collapsed while driving an electric scooter in a drunken state. It is presumed that the controversial nature of drunk driving on the social front was the background to the TV station's decision to make him a mosaic.

　Meanwhile, at the same time, there were also people in the entertainment industry who supported SUGA. It was learned that singer PSY mentioned SUGA in the process of introducing the closing stage song ‘That That’ on the ‘Soaking Wet Show 2024’ held on 25th last year. He conveyed his greetings of thanks to SUGA for their participation in the featuring and producing of the song.

　However, the situation is still controversial as to whether the mention was daringly necessary at a time when the recent uproar is so hot. Not only this, Lee Min-jin, the writer of the original novel of the same name for the Apple TV+ original series ‘Slingshot’, also left a purple heart on his personal SNS with a photo of SUGA. The purple heart is a representative symbol of ‘BTS’ and fan ARMY and is analysed as the writer Lee also expressing his public support for SUGA.

　The greater the influence that SUGA and ‘BTS’ have had on the whole world, the more intense the ripples of this uproar have been. With the entertainment industry also being greatly affected, SUGA turned themselves in to the police on the 23rd to undergo an investigation, and on the 25th they released a second handwritten apology, stating that they were ‘really sorry and hurt to the extent that it is hard to express the damage caused to the members and the team’ and apologising for the situation.