Korean network JTBC issues public apology for releasing CCTV footage misreported as BTS’ Suga

South Korean television network JTBC has aired a public formal apology for releasing CCTV footage of a man falling off an e-scooter, which was misreported as footage of BTS’s Suga.

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The BTS rapper was recently booked by South Korean police for allegedly driving an electronic scooter while inebriated beyond the legal limit. He was eventually charged for violating he Road Traffic Act and is currently under investigation. Following the booking, both Suga and his label Big Hit Music issued separate apology statements. As a result, Suga has lost his license and was ordered to pay a fine.

In its reporting of the news, JTBC first made public the false CCTV footage on August 7, which depicted an unidentified man riding down a main road on an e-scooter and falling. The network claimed that the footage depicted Suga.

However, after police investigations revealed that Suga had been riding his scooter on a pedestrian footpath, JTBC later acknowledged the error in its reporting. However, the network would later face backlash from fans and netizens alike not only for its misrepresentation of Suga, but also for its lack of a formal apology.

On August 16, JTBC aired an apology as part of their nightly news segment. “Our newsroom reported about BTS member Suga’s DUI on August 7. In the first portion of our report, we showed a CCTV footage of an electric scooter passing by the main road. It was later confirmed through police investigations that the male in the video was not Suga. We are sorry for causing confusion,” the news anchor said, as translated by Koreaboo. 

JTBC APOLOGIZES FOR SPREADING MISINFORMATION ABOUT SUGA:

… 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

— moni⁷ 𖠌 (@sevenrchive) August 16, 2024

In other K-pop news, SHINee leader Onew recently revealed the reason behind his departure from SM Entertainment after over 15 years with the company during his appearance on The Seasons. “To be honest, after being in such a great company for so long, I started to feel like I was getting too comfortable,” he said. “To be honest, after being in such a great company for so long, I started to feel like I was getting too comfortable.”

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