BTS Member Jungkook At Fault In Car Accident — New Details In The Police Investigation
The K-Pop star was in a fender bender over the weekend.
Instagram The members of the K-Pop juggernaut BTS are always conscious of doing the right thing. So when BTS member Jungkook got into a minor auto accident this weekend, he took responsibility for his mistakes right away.
Fans of the band were initially worried that the singer might have been injured in the accident but it sounds like it was just the kind of fender bender than can happen to anyone driving in a city; Jungkook was in an accident with a taxi but neither he nor the other driver was hurt. Police were called but no one was arrested. BTS's management company issued apologies on the singer's behalf after the fact.
Jungkook was able to join his bandmates in Seville, Spain the following night where they were big winners at the MTV European Music Awards.
Who is Jungkook? Read on for all the details.
1. Who is Jungkook?
Jungkook was 12 years old when he heard K-Pop legend GDragon perform "Heartbreaker" on TV. That inspired him to pursue a singing career of his own. In 2011, he auditioned for the South Korean talent show Superstar K but wasn't chosen for the show. However, his audition was good enough to get him casting offers from seven other entertainment companies. He eventually chose to become a trainee with Big Hit Entertainment. The company sent him to L.A. to work on his dance skills and he spent the summer of 2012 training at Movement Lifestyle. Before he landed with BTS, he performed in several music videos as a backup dancer. Even after he started performing full time, he continued his education, graduating from Seoul's School of Performing Arts, an arts high school in 2017. Now, he is enrolled at Global Cyber University along with his bandmates RM, J-Hope, Suga, V and Jimin.
2. K-Pop legends BTS
The band, made of members Jin, J-Hope, V, Suga, Jungkook, RM and Jimin, started out as a hip-hop group but eventually branched out from that formula to use all kinds of musical styles. They write a lot of their own material and frequently set their videos in an imaginary universe called BTS Universe. They're also working hard at being role models. Their management wanted them to be a group young people could look up to so they try to bring positivity to their image. They use their music to address topics that concern fans, like mental illness and grief. They even launched an anti-violence campaign called Love Myself in partnership with UNICEF.
BTS isn't just a force in music. They're a driver of cultural tourism to South Korea and their licensed and endorsed merchandise is a major source of revenue for the whole economy. Seventeen reported on studies that have shown that BTS is the reason 1 in 13 tourists visited South Korea in 2017. Between that and the increase in demand for products the band endorses, they have generated as much as $3.6 billion for the South Korean economy.
And we can't ignore that all of them have heartthrob good looks, in addition to being good role models who can sing.
BTS has millions of fans.
3. The car accident
According to Billboard, Jungkook got into a minor car accident over the weekend in South Korea. The magazine reports that the singer was questioned by police after hitting a taxi in the Hannam district of Seoul. Fans were worried after the accident, fearing that the K-Pop star was injured but there was widespread relief when it turned out that he was ok.
The hashtag "JungkookWeLoveYou" began trending on Twitter when fans started sharing their relief when they found out the singer was unhurt. "OUR PRECIOUS MAKNAE WE LOVE YOU!!! DON'T WORRY," one fan tweeted in all-caps. "NO ONE GOT SERIOUSLY HURT AND PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE BE CAREFUL NEXT TIME WE LOVE YOU PLEASE BE SAFE ALWAYS."
Another fan praised him for taking responsibility, saying "a true man accepts his mistake and knows how to apologize. We're glad you're ok Jungkook!"
Fans worried about his safety.
4. Accepting the blame
Jungkook isn't trying to wiggle out of accountability for what he did. "Both the victim and Jungkook did not sustain any major injuries," his management company Big Hit Entertainment said in a statement. "The scene of the accident was resolved and police questioning was completed according to the due process, and an amicable settlement was made with the victim afterward. We once again apologize to the victim, and we also express apologies for causing concern to fans."
5. What happens next?
Based on the Big Hit statement, it doesn't seem like there will be any legal repercussions for Jungkook following the fender bender. He may not even end up with any points on his license, or the South Korean version thereof. Instead, it sounds like the singer and the other driver reached a private settlement, which likely means he paid some form of damages to the other driver on the scene. No one has disclosed what that amount might be.
6. BTS wins two EMAs
The accident didn't slow Jungkook or the band down. The day after the traffic issue, BTS went on to win three awards at the 2019 MTV European Music Awards. The won for Best Group, Best Live and Biggest Fans. The prizes cap off the 2019 world tour promoting their Karl Jung-inspired concept album, Map Of The Soul — Persona, the BBC reports. Their next big gig will be in the United States, they are slated to perform at the Jingle Ball in Los Angeles in December.
Presumably, the band will hire a driver when they're in So Cal. L.A. drivers might be less forgiving that drivers in Seoul.
Rebekah Kuschmider has been writing about celebrities, pop culture, entertainment, and politics since 2010. Her work has been seen at Ravishly, Babble, Scary Mommy, The Mid, Redbook online, and The Broad Side. She is the creator of the blog Stay at Home Pundit and she is a cohost of the weekly podcast The More Perfect Union.