[Photo] OSEN DB.
Former BIGBANG member T.O.P has finally bowed his head. Following a 20-year fandom’s declaration of a ‘boycott,’ he promised improvements and stepped forward with a direct apology and explanation after three weeks. After losing his long-time fans and enduring a long silence, he delivered his sincerity through an 11-sentence message.
On the 1st, T.O.P took to his personal social media to directly address the recent shutdown of his 20-year-old fansite, ‘Choi Seung-hyun.com.’
T.O.P began by stating, “I want to convey my sincere heart to the management team of Choi Seung-hyun.com who has stayed by my side for a long 20 years.” He continued, “Even during moments when I found it hard to believe in myself, you believed in me alone, always offering warm hearts and precious support to give me the strength to make music again. I will never forget the time, effort, and precious sincerity that fans gathered to steadfastly protect that place. Thanks to the overwhelming heart you sent me, I was able to come this far.”
Explaining the reason for the delayed apology, T.O.P said, “Because I believed that I needed to be cautious with even a single word given various circumstances, it took time to gather my heart. It is late, but I want to convey my sincerity directly.”
He added, “The management team of Choi Seung-hyun.com sent me devoted love longer than anyone else and became a major pillar of support. I hope their time, effort, and sincerity remain untainted by misunderstandings and speculations, staying as their true meaning. I hope the precious years we shared do not remain as misunderstandings or hurt one another.”
T.O.P concluded, “Knowing very well that the attention and love you send me are never something to be taken for granted, I will live my life keeping deep gratitude in my heart.” He apologized, saying, “I sincerely apologize to the members of Choi Seung-hyun.com and all fans who were misunderstood and hurt because of me. I sincerely hope my sincerity reaches you.” This marked T.O.P speaking out directly about three weeks after the 20-year fandom declared its boycott.
[Photo] OSEN DB.
Previously, the 20-year-old fansite Choi Seung-hyun.com announced via its official channel on the 10th of last month, “We have decided to end our operations because we can no longer overlook T.O.P and Top Spot Pictures’ avoidance of reality, evasion of responsibility, and attitude of taking fans’ devotion for granted.” However, they noted at the time that T.O.P’s personal lifeโspecifically his acknowledged romantic relationship with former After School member Nanaโwas not the reason for the fansite’s closure.
Choi Seung-hyun.com pointed out, “Contrary to the phrase ‘albums for the fans,’ the stages and communication fans wanted and waited for the most were insufficient. Album promotion, marketing, as well as practical tasks following fan communication and support, relied heavily on the voluntary efforts of a private fansite.” They also disclosed records of past communications and messages exchanged with the agency.
When the 20-year fandom declared its departure, T.O.P’s agency, Top Spot Pictures, also took action. The agency stated, “We are taking the opinions recently shared by fans very heavily. Moving forward, we will listen more closely to your opinions and actively reflect them in the artist’s overall activities and management. We will also re-examine your communication methods and announce improvement measures as soon as they are prepared.”
Ultimately, both T.O.P and his agency rushed to pick up the pieces only after losing the trust and departure of their fans.
