T.O.P Breaks Silence Three Weeks After Fan Site Quits in Protest

Former BIGBANG member T.O.P (real name Choi Seung-hyun) has apologized to his longest-running fan site. The apology came three weeks after the site shut down with a public list of complaints, shortly after the rapper went public with his relationship with actress Nana.

T.O.P posted a long apology on social media on the 1st. "I want to share my sincere feelings with the staff of ChoiSeungHyun.com, who have been with me for the long span of the past 20 years," he wrote.

"Even in moments when it was hard for me to believe in myself, you believed in me," he wrote. "You always gave me warm hearts and support, and that gave me the strength to make music again. I will never forget the time and effort you poured into keeping that place going, or the sincere hearts of the fans."

He also explained why it took him so long to speak.

"Because of the situation, I felt I had to be careful with every single word, so it took time to share how I feel," he wrote. "I hope the precious years we spent together don't end up as a misunderstanding or leave us hurting each other."

"I know very well that your attention and love are never something to take for granted, so I will carry that gratitude deep in my heart for the rest of my life," he added. "I sincerely apologize to the ChoiSeungHyun.com staff and to the fans who were misunderstood and hurt because of me."

The dispute started on the 10th of last month. That day, ChoiSeungHyun.com announced it was ending operations after 20 years. "We can no longer overlook the denial of reality, the avoidance of responsibility, and the attitude of taking fans' devotion for granted," the site said.

The timing drew attention. The announcement came eight days after T.O.P confirmed he was dating Nana. Some people read it as fans turning away because they were let down by the relationship news.

The fan site pushed back on that reading. "The exhibition was canceled because of low participation and operating costs that were too hard to handle," it said. The site said the real issue was not the relationship. It pointed instead to what it called deceiving fans. That included a lack of communication and work being pushed onto the site's staff, problems it said built up during the release of his solo album and the planning of an exhibition.

The site did not hold back. "Fans' love and support are not something you can use when you need it and ignore when it's inconvenient," it said.

"We deeply apologize that our communication did not fully reach you," his agency, TOPSPOT Pictures, said right after the announcement.

That statement did little to calm things down. The fallout from losing such a long-standing fan base did not fade quickly. Three weeks after the controversy broke, T.O.P stepped forward himself, in what looks like a late attempt to repair the damage.

For a fan site that ran for two decades, the break was about more than one headline. It came down to how much fans give, and whether they feel it is noticed in return.