Fans were shocked when the group's EXO member Chen, also known as Kim Jongdae, revealed the news of his marriage and his girlfriend's pregnancy. On Wednesday, Chen posted a handwritten letter to the official fan club community, telling them about his marriage.
"I have a girlfriend I want to spend my life with. Although I was worried and worried about what would happen due to this decision, I wanted to tell the members and the company, especially my proud fans, early so that they wouldn't be surprised by the sudden news, so I was communicating with the company and consulting with the members. And then I got my blessing," he said, revealing her girlfriend's pregnancy.
"But I was more encouraged by this blessing. I couldn't wait any longer to say when and how. I'm very grateful to the members who congratulated me with all their heart upon hearing this news. I'm deeply grateful to the fans for sending me enough love for me, which was quoted as saying."
SM Entertainment has also confirmed and explained that the bride is a non-entertainer and that the wedding ceremony will be held respectfully. This issue has taken up online communities, news outlets, and SNS platforms by storm since back on January 13, when he suddenly posted an Instagram post about the news.
But it turns out that many EXO-Ls, especially those who follow EXO from day to day, knew about Chen's longtime girlfriend and even expected the marriage news coming.
One post which has been garnering attention since Chen's marriage news was randomly asked since Christmas last year leaving a question, "Is it true that EXO's Chen is getting married soon?" At the time, the 'ask' was turned down with a response that it is false, and it is far from the possibility.
The anonymous ask causing a buzz recently wasn't the first of its kind, as early last year, there was a similar netizen post which read, "There was a rumor about EXO's Chen getting married, is it for real?" Allegedly, Chen's non-celebrity girlfriend was well-known among EXO-Ls as early as 2015. The fans have noticed her be attending Chen's musical with her acquaintances, attending EXO's concerts and sitting in sections dedicated to exclusive guests, and more.
Then, last year, Chen was spotted out shopping with his non-celebrity girlfriend. Also, fans noticed many of his girlfriend's acquaintances congratulating her in December of 2019, heavily hinting at the topic of marriage. With Chen's marriage news officially announced, some EXO-Ls were seen looking back on past instances related to Chen and his non-celebrity girlfriend, leaving comments like, "Wow, I remember, she was really famous."
Born in 1992, Chen is now 27 and made his official debut in the music scene as a member of EXO in 2012. EXO-Ls are currently in a division between supporting the idol's marriage, and the other is expressing their wishes for him to leave the team.
