Exo singer Chen has announced that he is getting married to his girlfriend, who is also pregnant with their child.
Chen, whose real name is Kim Jong-dae, revealed his plans for marriage in a handwritten letter to his fans.
He wrote in the letter that he didn’t know how to start because he was feeling nervous. He explained that he has a girlfriend that he wants to spend the rest of his life with and that he wanted to tell his fans first.
He had wanted to announce the news earlier because he did not want it to come suddenly as a surprise to his fans and he’d been discussing the announcement with his agency, SM Entertainment, and his EXO band members.
Chen also wrote that he had also been concerned “about the situations that would arise” due to his decision but while he was trying to make up his mind when to make the announcement, an unexpected blessing came his way that gave him the courage to come out and make the announcement immediately.
The “blessing” appears to be a hint at his fiancee’s pregnancy.
He ended the letter by thanking his band-mates and fans for their love and support.
Below is an image of the handwritten letter as well as an English translation.
200113 #EXO Lysn Update
[TRANS] A letter from Jongdae ❤️ pic.twitter.com/WJ28h4buGq
— 지윤🌿 (@lunarkjd) January 13, 2020
Chen’s agency, SM Entertainment, also released a statement announcing that Chen is getting married.
The statement by SM Entertainment explained that Chen had “met someone precious to him” and that he would be getting married. The statement went on to explain that the mystery girlfriend is a non-celebrity and the wedding would be a private ceremony attended only by family members.
Soompi reported that SM Entertainment also confirmed that Chen’s fiancee is pregnant but declined to share details about her identity or how far along she is “because she is a non-celebrity.”
Some sources claimed that Chen was already married and that his fiancee was seventh months pregnant, but SM Entertainment has denied the claim.
As well, Chen warned his fans on Instagram not to believe any reports about him unless they come from an official source.
Fans took to social media after the news broke to post congratulatory messages. They also posted jokes about the surprise announcement.
my baby nini, it feels so good to see you growing up day by day. the man you are today ♡ love you, love. pic.twitter.com/DmjQKHoKWi
— 𝐦𝐢𝐫 ♡ 𝐣𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐝𝐚𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧 🐥 (@clingychen) January 13, 2020
exo members arguing on who should change the diaper of chen's baby pic.twitter.com/jdRdZv8Hva
— 𝐥𝐢𝐥𝐲¹²⁷ • check pinned!! (@4EVERSUNGIE) January 13, 2020
Some fans reacted to negative comments by some Twitter users.
Admit it, he made you happy for so many years. Your ears were blessed by his angelic voice. But, why can't you just be happy for him? Our Jongdae deserves to love and be loved. It turns out, you don't deserve him and to be an EXO fan.#ChenEXO#우리는_종대를_믿어 #엑소9명 pic.twitter.com/AlUHgQSeOy
— CessyHime (@CessyHime) January 13, 2020
https://twitter.com/dmumyexo/status/1216747138799013888
If I see anyone dragging Chen or EXO cause of his marriage or baby you will be blocked. I don’t play games when it comes to my boys pic.twitter.com/sls5OTu4H3
— Multi Fan in need of Friends (@MultiNeed) January 13, 2020
Chen is a member of Exo, a popular Seoul-based South K-Pop boy band. The other members of the group include Xiumin, Suho, Lay, Baekhyun, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai, and Sehun.
SM Entertainment formed the band in 2011. The band performs in Korean, Japanese and Mandarin. Their music incorporates elements of pop, R&B, hip-hop, and electronic dance music styles.