[Full statement] SHINee's Choi Min-ho addresses the controversy... “I won't accept my marathon result. I'm sorry”

Some of these comments are seriously baffling lol. It would be a rule violation and something worth criticizing no matter who did it. Did it become a bigger controversy because he's famous? Yes. Would anyone have been criticized for doing it? Also yes. Separate from whether the backlash went too far, I really hate how people are treating this like it was nothing lol. Even if they're amateurs or hobby runners, a full marathon is a seriously big deal, and a race with regular people competing is still a sport. Of course it has to be fair.

I have zero interest in running, so I'd been ignoring this whole thing, but some of these comments are strange. If the rules apply to everyone, then obviously they apply to regular people too, right? They should apply to running crews and everyone else. Do the rules somehow change depending on whether you're a celebrity or a regular runner...? It's true that Choi Min-ho got way too much hate, and I do feel bad for him... but if he apologized for what he did wrong, people can just support him now. I don't think the people who pointed it out deserve to be attacked either...

He gave a good apology, and based on everything he's shown us so far, I trust him. The over-the-top hate comments are definitely a problem too. But whether they're fans or not, people kept nudging everyone toward reactions like, “This wasn't even worth apologizing for,” “It's no big deal,” and “What's the big deal about getting a little push?” That really doesn't help a celebrity at all.