“I Feel Deeply Ashamed” — SHINee’s Minho Addresses Marathon Controversy

SHINee member Minho bowed his head amid controversy over fairness in a marathon race.

Earlier, Minho completed the full marathon of 42.195 km at the 2026 JTBC Seoul Marathon held at Sangam World Cup Park on November 1.

However, controversy arose after it was revealed that Minho received physical assistance from a pacemaker during the marathon. A video appeared online after the race showing a man presumed to be a pacemaker placing his fingers on Minho’s waist as if pushing him forward.

SHINee’s Minho Gets Embroiled In Unexpected Controversy After His First Marathon

On November 3, Minho apologized on social media, saying, “I am sorry for disappointing many people in the marathon I participated in on November 1. Everything happened due to my own shortcomings, and as someone who cherishes and loves sports, I feel deeply ashamed.”

He continued, “I will be more careful to ensure that this does not happen again and will always strive to show you a better side of me. I do not accept the results of this marathon myself, and I will not forget the lessons I learned through this process.”

He also added, “I send my respect to all the runners who pour countless drops of sweat and work hard.”

Since marathons are record events that must be completed solely by the runner’s physical ability without external physical assistance, the fairness controversy arose, and ultimately Minho posted an apology and admitted his mistake.