Lea Salonga defends BTS' Suga amid backlash for drunk driving incident
Lea Salonga came to the defense of BTS member Suga as he is facing controversy for driving an electric scooter while under the influence of alcohol.
The singer and actress expressed her support for Suga as she shared a black-and-white picture of the South Korean artist on her Instagram page.
"Always behind you, Yoongi," she wrote in the caption, referring to Suga's real name Min Yoon-gi.
Replying to one user in the comments section who wrote, "It's crazy what they're doing to him when he didn't even hit anyone or anything," Salonga stressed that while she understands that Suga "broke" some laws, he shouldn't be condemned in such an "unfair" way by the public.
"To be totally fair, I get that there are laws in place and that he, on paper, broke them, never mind that no one was hurt. HOWEVER, it’s the disproportionate judgment by haters and media that I take issue with," Salonga wrote.
"Already JBTC apologized for releasing false information, but you can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube, now can you?" she added.
Salonga was referring to the incorrect CCTV footage released by JTBC Newsroom, a prominent Korean media channel, that showed Suga recklessly riding an electric scooter at high speed on the main road. The video has since caused much outrage from the public to be directed at Suga.
However, the channel is now facing investigation after police discovered that the man in the video was not Suga, and that the rapper was actually riding at a low speed within his lane on the sidewalk and wearing a helmet.
Salonga's support comes after Suga released another handwritten note on Weverse apologizing for his actions.
According to a translation of the post by Soompi, the K-pop icon said, "It is with feelings of shame that I apologize once again to you all. I apologize very deeply for having disappointed and hurt my fans and everyone who loves me through my wrongdoings."
"Everything is my fault. Due to my carelessness, everyone who cares about me is going through a difficult time. I will live my life reflecting and making efforts not to commit such wrongdoings again," he continued.
He lamented how the incident "left a large blemish on the precious memories" that he made with his fans and fellow BTS members Jin, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook.
"I have tarnished BTS’s name. I feel so painfully sorry for having caused damage to the other members and our group that it is difficult to express. I’m sorry that the [BTS] members, who always believed in me, are suffering because of me," Suga said.
He ended his message by highlighting that he would face any punishment for his actions.
"I will accept not only the disciplinary measures that will be decided [by the authorities] in the future, but also any criticism or rebuke. I once again bow my head and sincerely apologize for causing a controversy and disappointing many people," he stressed.
Suga, 31, was found by police next to his e-scooter late at night back on Aug. 6, with a blood alcohol level of 0.227%, nearly three times over the legal limit.
This could mean a prison sentence of up to five years or a fine between KRW 10 million (over P410,000) to KRW 20 million (over P841,000) under the South Korean Road Traffic Act.
But police will also consider factors such as the driver's driving distance, whether any damage occurred, and whether he had a similar criminal record.
Seoul's Military Manpower Administration has said that Suga will be punished according to the traffic law, not military law, as the incident happened outside of his official working hours.