T.O.P Apologizes 3 Weeks After His 20-Year Fan Site Shut Down in Protest

T.O.P took three weeks to answer the fan site that spent 20 years backing him. On the 1st, the former BIGBANG member posted a long apology to the operators of CHOIDOT, which shut down after accusing him and his agency of dodging reality and responsibility.

The timing is the awkward part. The site's closure came just days after he publicly confirmed a relationship with actress Nana, and the apology arrives well after his agency, Topspot Pictures, had already tried to put out the fire.

What the fan site said when it closed

CHOIDOT announced it was ending operations after running since August 24, 2006. Its statement said it could no longer tolerate the "avoidance of reality and responsibility" or an attitude that treats fans' devotion as a given. The Korean reports differ on the exact closing date, giving either the 9th or the 10th of last month, so treat that detail with care.

The announcement came eight days after T.O.P confirmed the relationship with Nana, a singer and actress who debuted in After School. Some read the shutdown as fans souring on the news. The site pushed back on that directly.

It said a canceled exhibition was down to low participation and operating costs that were hard to bear. The real problem, it argued, was the build-up around his solo album release and exhibition prep: poor communication, work pushed onto fans, and what it called deception of fans. One line stung: fans' love and support is not something to use when needed and ignore when inconvenient.

Agency first, then the artist

Topspot Pictures responded first. It said it was taking fans' opinions seriously and apologized for failing to get news of his activities and communication through to people who had waited. It acknowledged the disappointment that caused.

That did not settle things. The fandom's departure kept echoing, and T.O.P's own statement followed about three weeks after the controversy broke.

What T.O.P wrote

He thanked the operators for believing in him even "in moments when it was hard for me to believe in myself," and said their support gave him the strength to make music again. He said he would never forget the time and effort they put into keeping the site running.

On the delay, he wrote that he felt he had to be careful with every word given the circumstances, which is why it took time to speak. He hoped the years they shared would not be left as a misunderstanding or turn into mutual hurt, and that the operators' sincerity would not be buried under speculation.

He closed by saying he knows fans' attention and love are never a given, and apologized to the operators and fans who were misunderstood and hurt because of him.

Notably, the apology speaks of "misunderstanding" and hurt feelings. It does not address the specific complaints about communication and workload that the site laid out. Whether that satisfies a fandom that already left is another question.