Samsung reportedly considers ending brand ambassador contract with BTS's Suga amid DUI controversy

Suga, a member of the K-Pop group BTS. Photo from Suga's Instagram

"There is a risk in promoting someone as a brand ambassador who has caused a social controversy, regardless of the person's fandom," the source, who wished to stay unnamed, revealed to The Korea Herald on Tuesday. "It is a serious matter and requires a lot of careful consideration."

Nevertheless, Samsung does not plan immediate action to exclude Suga from its advertisements, as its contract for a brand ambassador was signed with BTS as a whole, not solely with Suga, the source explained.

"Unless he leaves BTS, Samsung cannot remove Suga from the promotion at the moment," the source further stated. "The situation needs to be monitored a bit longer."

Yonhap News Agency reported that on Aug. 23, the singer was interrogated by police after an officer found him lying alone on the ground in Seoul, having fallen from his electric scooter while intoxicated on Aug. 6.

Subsequent tests showed his blood alcohol content to be 0.227%, exceeding the license revocation limit of 0.08%, according to Sports Chosun.

Samsung Germany has removed promotional images featuring Suga alongside the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, posted on Aug. 15 and 16, from its official X account by Aug. 17.

Samsung appointed BTS as a global ambassador for its smartphone products in February 2020, reportedly aiming to tap into the group's global popularity and youthful image to resonate with younger demographics.

This partnership has seen considerable success, which cultivated the launch of BTS-themed versions of the Galaxy S20+ and Galaxy Buds+.

Suga has also shown his commitment to the Samsung brand, notably declaring "No iPhone, only Galaxy" during his solo concert tour in the U.S. in April last year, committing exclusively to Samsung products for engaging with fans.

The 31-year-old was born Min Yoon-gi in Daegu, South Korea. He joined BTS in 2013 and released his debut solo mixtape in 2016. The mixtape was reissued in 2018 on digital and streaming platforms, reaching number three on Billboard’s World Albums Chart.

In 2020, he released his second solo mixtape, which climbed to number 11 on the U.S. Billboard 200, number seven on the U.K. Albums Chart, and number two on Australia’s ARIA Album Chart.