T.O.P.'s 20-year fan site reverses closure after singer's heartfelt apology

Choi Seung-hyun Dot Com, a fan site dedicated to singer and actor T.O.P. (Choi Seung-hyun) of K-pop group Big Bang, has reversed its decision to shut down and will resume operations.

The fan site announced the decision Wednesday on Instagram, saying it had been difficult to watch two decades' worth of privately held stories spill out across countless news articles. "In those moments when everything felt like it was falling apart, T.O.P. reached out to us first," the post read. "Because he is someone who chooses his words carefully, it took a little more time for his feelings to reach us."

The site's operators said the experience ultimately allowed them to reconnect with the person they had first come to love. "In those words, filled with more sincerity than we could ever put into language, we were able to meet again the Choi Seung-hyun we first fell for back in 2006," they wrote. "He may have been a little clumsy in how he expressed himself, but he was still the person we have always known and believed in."

They added that his agency had also responded to fans' concerns through an official notice and apology. "Not everything will change overnight, but we hope that even small steps, imperfect as they may seem, will add up and reach everyone in the end," the post said. "We want to trust in that process again and watch it unfold."

The operators also acknowledged that their earlier statement had drawn far more attention than expected and had been interpreted in ways they had not intended. "We were frightened and cautious watching that happen," they said, asking readers to approach the new post "with the heart of fans who have cherished and supported one person for a long time."

"After much deliberation and hesitation, we have decided to reopen Choi Seung-hyun Dot Com," they said, adding an apology to anyone who had been worried or confused by the sudden closure announcement followed so quickly by news of a reversal.

T.O.P. had previously responded to the site's original closure announcement on his own Instagram account. "The operators of Choi Seung-hyun Dot Com have shown me devoted love and been a great pillar of support for longer than anyone," he wrote. "The time and effort they poured into keeping that place alive, and the precious sincerity of the fans who stood with them — I will never forget that for the rest of my life."