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HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk Seen Taking Photos of a Woman in What Appears to Be the U.S. (Source: Online Community) |
[Alpha Biz= Reporter Kim Jisun] HYBE has been shaken by recent scandals involving BTS's Suga and Chairman Bang Si-hyuk, leading to a significant drop in its stock price. After three consecutive days of gains, the stock fell by over 6%.
On the 9th, HYBE's stock closed at 172,200 KRW, down 6.31% (11,600 KRW) from the previous day. While entertainment stocks, in general, were down, HYBE experienced the steepest decline.
Suga was discovered on the night of the 6th, having fallen off an electric scooter in Hannam-dong, Yongsan District. A nearby police officer, noticing the smell of alcohol, took Suga to the nearest police station, where it was confirmed that his blood alcohol concentration was above the license cancellation level (0.08%).
According to a report from the Dong-A Ilbo on the 9th, Suga's blood alcohol concentration was found to be 0.227%, indicating severe intoxication. Under current law, driving an electric scooter with a blood alcohol level between 0.08% and 0.2% can result in a sentence of one to two years in prison or a fine of 5 to 10 million KRW. For levels above 0.2%, the penalties increase to two to five years in prison or a fine of 10 to 20 million KRW.
The police have not yet issued a license cancellation against Suga. Typically, a blood alcohol level above 0.08% leads to a one-year suspension of the driver's license.
Big Hit Music, Suga's agency, initially referred to the scooter as an "electric kickboard" in a statement, sparking allegations of downplaying the incident. They later clarified in a second statement that there was no intention to minimize the issue and that they would cooperate fully with the ongoing police investigation and accept the results.
Meanwhile, Chairman Bang Si-hyuk has been embroiled in an unexpected scandal. He was spotted with BJ in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, with rumors of a romantic relationship emerging after photos showed him taking pictures of her. HYBE responded by stating that Bang had met with the sisters of BJ by chance at a gathering and had given advice on dealing with impersonators. The company added that Bang had simply helped with reservations and recommendations when they later visited LA.
AlphaBIZ Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
