After leaving the group BIGBANG, T.O.P clearly distanced himself from team activities but continued to show unwavering support for the members’ individual endeavors.
On September 14th, according to media outlet TVBS, T.O.P expressed his stance regarding BIGBANG’s activities at a recent fan meeting in Japan.
He stated that he would not participate in the 20th anniversary activities conducted by the trio of G-Dragon, Taeyang, and Daesung. Regarding his future plans, he intends to focus on his solo career.
T.O.P reportedly said, “Although I can no longer stand on the same stage side by side with the members, I will continue to support and cheer for their activities and music from behind the scenes.”
He also read a handwritten letter to fans, sharing his feelings during his hiatus. He confessed that while stepping away from the entertainment industry allowed him to experience freedom in his ordinary daily life, it also brought feelings of loneliness and emptiness.
He added that he never stopped working on music during his break and expressed gratitude to fans, saying, “Your support has been the greatest driving force allowing me to stand before the public again. I hope there will be no more distance between us moving forward.”
T.O.P debuted as a member of BIGBANG in 2006. However, in 2016, he was prosecuted for marijuana use and sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years. Following this, he announced his intention to retire from the entertainment industry through his personal social media account and officially left BIGBANG in 2023.
Later, he returned to the entertainment scene in December 2024 with the Netflix original series Squid Game Season 2. He also released his first solo full-length album this year.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of BIGBANG’s debut. Accordingly, members G-Dragon, Taeyang, and Daesung are currently conducting the world tour BIGBANG 2026-2027 WORLD TOUR “XX : COSMOS.”