Famous K-Pop Idol Issues Apology Over Alleged Help Used During Seoul Marathon

SHINee‘s Minho has posted an apology following a controversy over his run at the Seoul marathon.

On November 3, Minho posted an apology on his Instagram account, saying, “I’m sorry for disappointing so many people at the marathon I took part in on November 1.”

He continued, “Everything happened because of my shortcomings, and as someone who cares for and loves sports, I feel deeply ashamed. I apologize once again for causing concern.”

Minho said, “I will pay more attention so the same thing does not happen again and try to always show you a good side of myself. I also do not accept this marathon result myself, and I will not forget the lesson I learned from this process.” He closed by adding, “I send my respect to the runners who work hard, shedding countless drops of sweat.”

On November 1, Minho took part in the “2026 JTBC Seoul Marathon” and completed the full 42.195km course in 3 hours and 18 seconds, his first time finishing a full marathon. Afterward, a video appeared to show a runner beside him pushing his back, and it spread online, sparking controversy.

The “2026 JTBC Seoul Marathon” was jointly organized by JTBC, the Korea Association of Athletics Federations, and Runnable. The Korea Association of Athletics Federations’ rules prohibit receiving physical assistance that could help propel a runner forward, except when helping a fallen runner up. This led to criticism that Minho may have received unfair help from another runner during the race.

Source: (A)