#SHOWBIZ: Minho of Shinee apologises for recent marathon 'blunder'
SEOUL: Shinee member Choi Minho apologised last Tuesday after footage from his first full marathon sparked debate over whether he received prohibited physical assistance during the race.
SEOUL: Shinee member Choi Minho expressed regret over his recent marathon performance after footage from his first full marathon raised questions about possible prohibited physical assistance during the race. Minho finished the 2026 JTBC Seoul Marathon on Sunday, completing it in 3 hours and 18 seconds. He shared his completion on social media later that day.
While he missed the sub-3 hour goal by 18 seconds, he acknowledged the experience as valuable. Life is a marathon, he wrote. Shortly after the race, videos emerged online showing a man who may be his pacemaker running behind him and placing a hand near his waist and back. Some viewers demanded Minho's result to be disqualified, while others believed the footage was insufficient to prove a rule violation.
World Athletics rules forbid physical support from another athlete that assists a runner in moving forward, except when the aid helps the runner regain a standing position. The critical issue now is whether the contact actually helped Minho's progress and if it breached the event's official regulations. JTBC Seoul Marathon has not issued a statement on the matter.
On Tuesday, Minho addressed the controversy by apologizing in a social media post, expressing regret for the disappointment caused.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
