November 1, 2026 | K-POP News | Artist & Fan Community
For 20 years, the fan site CHOIDOT documented T.O.P’s career and helped supporters stay connected to his music. On Sunday, November 1, the former BIGBANG member addressed its closure in a personal message, thanking the people who ran the site and apologizing to fans who had been hurt.
T.O.P, whose real name is Choi Seung-hyun, shared the message on Instagram more than three weeks after CHOIDOT, also known as Choi Seung-hyun.com, announced its closure on October 9. His agency, TOPSPOT PICTURES, had issued its own apology on October 10.
T.O.P addresses the CHOIDOT closure on November 1
Rather than responding to every criticism individually, T.O.P focused his message on the relationship built over 20 years. He recalled that the people behind CHOIDOT continued to believe in him when he struggled to believe in himself, and said their encouragement helped him return to making music.
T.O.P said he had delayed his response because he wanted to be careful with his words. He nonetheless felt it was important to speak directly. In his statement, he apologized to CHOIDOT’s administrators and to fans who had experienced hurt and misunderstandings because of him.
His statement emphasized gratitude and a wish that the years spent together not be reduced to speculation or painful memories. It was an apology from T.O.P personally, not a notification that the closed fan site had resumed operations.
Why a fan site that began in 2006 decided to close
CHOIDOT began on August 24, 2006, during the early days of BIGBANG. The volunteer-run site documented T.O.P’s activities for roughly 20 years. On October 9, 2026, its administrators announced that they would stop operating it.
In explaining the decision, the administrators criticized what they viewed as insufficient communication and support from T.O.P and his company. Their concerns included the responsibilities fans had taken on in keeping other supporters, including international followers, informed. Those are the fan site’s stated grievances, rather than findings from an independent investigation.
Coverage of the closure also became entangled with discussion of the artist’s private life. The fan site’s criticism, however, centered on its dealings with the artist and management. Presenting the shutdown simply as a reaction to his personal relationships would misrepresent that stated position.
TOPSPOT PICTURES apologized before the artist spoke
On October 10, TOPSPOT PICTURES acknowledged the concerns raised by fans. The company apologized for failing to provide sufficient activity updates and communication, and said it would review its approach to listening to supporters and share improvements through official channels.
The two statements addressed different concerns. TOPSPOT PICTURES responded to complaints about updates and communication, while T.O.P acknowledged the CHOIDOT team’s years of work and support. Neither statement announced that the fan site would reopen.
The timeline: two apologies, three weeks apart
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| August 24, 2006 | CHOIDOT began documenting and supporting T.O.P’s activities. |
| October 9, 2026 | CHOIDOT announced its decision to end operations. |
| October 10, 2026 | TOPSPOT PICTURES apologized over communication concerns. |
| November 1, 2026 | T.O.P personally thanked the fan site’s administrators and apologized to fans. |
What comes next for T.O.P and his longtime supporters?
The agency has promised to review how it communicates with fans, and T.O.P has now offered his own apology. As of November 1, however, there has been no announcement that CHOIDOT will reopen or that its administrators have accepted either statement.
CHOIDOT’s closure also draws attention to the work behind long-running fan communities. Its volunteers spent years preserving T.O.P’s activities and, according to the site’s administrators, even handling inquiries from overseas supporters. The shutdown ends an important part of that shared history, regardless of what happens next.
T.O.P’s message can be found through his Instagram account. For background on his former group, visit the BIGBANG artist profile. T.O.P’s former membership is historical context and should not be read as a claim that he is part of the group’s current lineup.
Sources
MoneyToday — T.O.P’s November 1 statement and CHOIDOT history · Sports World — TOPSPOT PICTURES response, October 10
Image licensing: The 2016 premiere photograph is by GOM (Wikimedia Commons file record; cropped from the original on Commons). The 2016 concert photograph is by Always Be Pretty (Wikimedia Commons file record). Both are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International. Photo captions contain only source names, not links.