Suga

Career 1993–2010: Beginnings Suga became interested in rap after hearing "Ragga Muffin" by Stony Skunk, stating that it was different from anything he had ever heard before. After hearing Epik High, he decided to become a rapper.

By age 13, he began to write music lyrics and learned about MIDI. He worked a part-time job at a record studio by age 17. From then on, he began composing and arranging music, rapping, and performing. As part of the hip hop crew D-Town in 2010, he produced "518-062", a song commemorating the Gwangju Uprising.

2013–present: BTS

Originally joining the company as a music producer, Suga trained under Big Hit Entertainment for three years alongside bandmates J-Hope and RM. He made his debut as a member of BTS on Mnet's M Countdown with the track "No More Dream" from their debut single album 2 Cool 4 Skool. He has produced and written lyrics for a variety of tracks on all of the band's albums.

Suga wrote and performed the introductory track "Intro: The Most Beautiful Moment in Life" for BTS' third Korean-language extended play (EP) The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 1 (2015). Released on April 17, (April 18 KST its lyrics addressed fears associated with reaching adulthood at the end of one's adolescent years through the use of a sports metaphor.) Pt. 1 's follow up EP, The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 2, featured another introduction performed by Suga, called "Intro: Never Mind", that recounted his teenage years. It was later included as the opener on BTS' 2016 compilation album The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Young Forever. Suga did not perform another introductory track for BTS until 2020's "Interlude: Shadow", from the band's Map of the Soul: 7 album. Released ahead of the album on January 10, the rap track referenced "Intro: O!RUL8,2?" from the 2013 EP of the same name and discussed BTS' fame, comparing its reality to the celebrity about which O!RUL8,2? dreamed; Tamar Herman of Billboard described the interlude as "evocative, yet brash", noting in particular how its sound changes midway through to show "this dichotomy between the relationship of how fame and audiences watching him affects his idea of self". The second is "Trivia: Seesaw", about the up-and-down nature of falling in love, which he performed for BTS' 2018 compilation album Love Yourself: Answer.

In 2018, Suga was awarded the fifth-class Hwagwan Order of Cultural Merit, alongside his bandmates, by then President of South Korea Moon Jae-in, for their contributions to the promotion of Korean culture. He was appointed Special Presidential Envoy for Future Generations and Culture by Moon in July 2021, again alongside his bandmates, to help "lead the global agenda for future generations" and "expand South Korea's diplomatic efforts and global standing" in the international community.

2016–present: Solo career

Suga released a free self-titled mixtape via SoundCloud on August 15, 2016. He decided against releasing the project as a commercial studio album, describing it as the "feeling of being trapped in some sort of framework." Fuse TV rated it one of the top 20 mixtapes of 2016. The following year, Suga composed the song "Wine" for singer Suran, with whom he had previously worked on a song for his mixtape. At Suga's studio, Suran heard a rough draft of "Wine" and asked Suga for the song. The record peaked at number two on the Gaon Digital Chart in South Korea and won the Best R&B genre award at the Melon Music Awards on December 2, 2017. Suga also received the Hot Trend Award for his work on the track. Suga made his first mixtape available on digital download and streaming platforms in February 2018. The reissued project reached number three on Billboards World Albums Chart, number five on the Heatseekers Albums chart, and number 74 on the Top Album Sales chart in the United States. Suga, as Agust D, reached number 46 on the Emerging Artists chart for the week of March 3.

In January 2019, Suga provided a rap feature on Lee So-ra's single "Song Request". The track was co-written by Suga and Tablo of Epik High, who also produced the track. The single debuted at number three on the Gaon Digital Chart, and number two on Billboards World Digital Song Sales chart, with 3,000 downloads during the song's first two days of availability. Suga later produced the track "Eternal Sunshine" for Epik High's Sleepless in extended play, which was released in February. He co-wrote and produced the digital single "We Don't Talk Together" for singer Heize, which she released on July 7. In December, American singer-songwriter Halsey released the song "Suga's Interlude", from her third studio album Manic, which both featured and was produced by Suga.

On May 6, 2020, IU released the digital single "Eight" featuring and produced by Suga. The song debuted at number one on both the Gaon Digital and World Digital Song Sales charts. Suga released his second mixtape, D-2, together with the music video for its lead single "Daechwita", on May 22; the single peaked at number 76 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The mixtape debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200 and became the highest-charting album by a Korean soloist in the US at the time. It also became the first Korean solo release to reach the top 10 in the United Kingdom, opening at number seven on the UK Albums Chart.

In 2021, Suga re-composed Samsung's signature ringtone, "Over The Horizon". The track was unveiled on August 11 as part of Samsung's "Unpacked 2021" event. He also produced the single "You" for Japanese singer ØMI, which was released on October 15. In December, Suga featured on the single "Girl of My Dreams" from American rapper Juice Wrld's posthumous album Fighting Demons. The single debuted at number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100, earning Suga his second entry on the chart as a solo artist. He next co-wrote, produced, and featured on the song "That That" with Psy, which was released on April 29, 2022, as the lead single from the singer's eighth studio album Psy 9th. That December, Suga launched the talk show web series SuchwitaTime to Drink with Suga

Suga was announced as a brand ambassador for Valentino and the face of the Maison Valentino Essentials campaign for the brand's menswear staples in January 2023, and as an ambassador for the NBA in April. His debut solo album D-Day, was released on April 21 under his Agust D alias. Featuring the singles "People Pt. 2" and "Haegeum", the album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, Suga's first top-10 entry on the ranking, tying him with bandmate Jimin as the highest-charting South Korean solo artists in the history of the chart. A Disney+ documentary, titled Suga: Road to D-Day, chronicling the project's creation and following the rapper on a music road trip across different countries, premiered the same day as the album. Suga also hosted a five-episode radio show, Agust D Radio, weekly on Apple Music in promotion of D-Day; the premiere episode aired on April 17. He embarked on the D-Day Tour, his first solo world tour, the following week, playing several shows in the US, followed by visits to Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, and Japan. On October 6, 2023, Suga's song from Agust D, "The Last" surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify making him the fifth leading Korean artist with the most songs over 100 million streams.

Name

The stage name Suga was inspired by legendary boxing champion Sugar Ray Leonard. For years, he told fans and the media that it stood for the first syllables of the term "shooting guard" , his favourite basketball position, because its real origin was "too much of a chore" to explain. He adopted the alias Agust D in 2016 for his mixtape, which is derived from the initials DT for his birthplace, Daegu Town, and "Suga", spelled backwards. He plays piano and produces mainly hip hop and R&B music. His lyrics involve themes that are "full of dreams and hope," conceived with the intent of his music becoming "many people's strength." He cites Stony Skunk and Epik High as his inspirations to pursue hip hop music. Particularly, he credits the former's reggae-hip hop hybrid album Ragga Muffin (2005) and its title track for igniting his interest in the genre.

Jeff Benjamin of Fuse said that Suga's mixtape "showcases the star's ear for hot productions, hardcore rap style, and how he can make his vulnerabilities a strength." Other critics stated that Suga's "storytelling execution in the music he creates tears down the barrier of censoring and sugarcoating".

In January 2018, Suga was promoted to a full member of the Korea Music Copyright Association.

Reception In 2017, Suga was ranked the 13th most preferred idol of the year in a survey conducted by Gallup Korea. He ranked seventh in 2018 and ninth in 2019.

Personal life In 2018, Suga purchased a apartment and as of 2019, lives in Hannam-dong, Seoul, South Korea.

Health Suga was diagnosed with appendicitis, and underwent surgery at Severance Hospital in Sinchon on December 9, 2013. He was discharged on the December 17 but was re-hospitalized on December 26 due to inflammation of the surgical site. Consequently, he was unable to attend year-end music festivals.

In December 2016, Suga suffered an ear injury after tripping over a door threshold. Following doctor recommendations, he took a one-week break from performing and participating in choreography (including at year-end festivals) to ensure the wound healed properly.

In November 2020, Suga underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum (reverse Bankart tear) in his left shoulder and announced that he would be taking a break from subsequent promotional activities in order to fully recover. He resumed activities in January 2021, beginning with a performance with BTS at the 35th Golden Disc Awards.

Military service Following revisions made to the Military Service Act in December 2020, all members of BTS were granted an automatic postponement of their mandatory military service in 2021 until the end of 2022. On August 7, 2023, subsequent to the completion of his world tour, Big Hit announced through Weverse that Suga had applied for the termination of his postponement in order to begin the enlistment process and carry out his service. He began his military service on September 22, as a social worker. Suga was discharged on June 21, 2025.

DUI incident On the night of August 6, 2024, Suga was driving an electric scooter in Hannam-dong, Seoul, when he fell and was recognized by a police officer who detected alcohol. After being breathtested and found to have an elevated blood alcohol level, he was fined and his license was revoked. Multiple news outlets reported that his BAC was 0.227%, nearly eight times South Korea's legal limit, however, this was not confirmed by police. He and his label both issued statements for the situation, in which he said he had been drinking at a meal, and he apologized. On August 8, the police announced that they were investigating Suga on charges of violating South Korea's Road Traffic Act. The Military Manpower Administration stated they would not address the matter separately, as the incident was a personal issue that happened outside of working hours. On September 10, the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors Office proceeded with a summary indictment of Suga for the incident, a process used for minor offenses that allows for expedited penalties without a full trial. Suga plead guilty to the charges, and on September 30, was sentenced to a fine of by the Seoul Western District Court, a decision that matched the prosecutors' request. The following year, for his 26th birthday, he donated and 329 BT21 Shooky dolls to the Korea Pediatric Cancer Foundation. In February 2020, Suga donated to the Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association to help prevention and relief efforts in his hometown of Daegu, one of the cities most affected by the coronavirus outbreak in South Korea at the time. He donated another in March 2021, to Daegu's Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital to support child cancer patients unable to access treatment due to financial difficulties.

On March 9, 2022, in celebration of his 29th birthday, Suga donated to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association to help victims of the extensive wildfires along the country's eastern coastal area. On March 9, 2023, he donated to the Korean Save the Children, for the purchase of blankets, mattresses, and school supplies for children in southern Turkey and northern Syria. In March 2025, Suga donated to the Korean Red Cross for wildfire relief efforts due to wildfire damages in the Ulsan, Gyeongbuk, and Gyeongnam regions.

In June 2025, Suga donated to Severance Hospital to establish a treatment center for children with autism. At the center, named the Min Yoongi Center in Suga's honor, he has worked as a volunteer music instructor. With the center's director and research team, Suga is a co-author of MIND Program , a clinical manual for the use of music in a social skills therapy program for children and adolescents with autism.

Suga has spoken openly about mental health, sharing his experiences with depression through his music, and has tried to normalize conversations around the topic. He has also supported equality for the LGBTQ+ community.

2023 Global Digital Music – April "That That"

Best Music – Summer "Haegeum"

IdolPlus Popularity Award Agust D

2023 Digital Song Bonsang "That That"

2024 Album Bonsang D-Day

2023 Album of the Year Music of the Spheres

2019

"Song Request"

2020 "Eight"

Best Dance Performance – Solo Song of the Year

Best Rap & Hip Hop Performance "People Pt. 2"

Album of the Year D-Day

Song of the Year "People Pt. 2"

2017 Hot Trend Award "Wine"

2022 Song of the Year "That That"

Millions Top 10 D-Day

Top 10 Artist Award

2023 Fan Choice of the Year – April