Chen, member of K-Pop group Exo, has surprisingly announced his engagement to his non-celebrity girlfriend yesterday.
The 27-year-old vocalist broke the news in a handwritten letter to fans on the band’s official online fan community, also hinting his soon-to-be wife’s pregnancy.
“I was disconcerted ... but encouraged by this blessing,” Chen wrote as reported by Yonhap News Agency. “I decided to be brave (to break the news) because I could no longer waste time.”
SM Entertainment went to confirm that the bride-to-be is indeed expecting a child and that the wedding will be held privately with only the couple’s families in attendance.
Chen, whose real name is Kim Jong-dae, thanked his bandmates for their congratulatory messages and fans who always supported him.
According to his label, the K-Pop star will repay his fans with hard work after his nuptial.
His public announcement comes as a shock to his fans, seen as trending hashtags ‘Jongdae’ and ‘Chen’ were tweeted locally and worldwide. Fans took over Twitter supporting and congratulating the pair.
Chen is the first member of the popular K-Pop boy band to get married. His fellow bandmate Kai was also involved in a romantic relationship with BlackPink’s Jennie but broke it off on amicable terms in January of last year following their unplanned relationship revelation by a Korean media entertainment outlet.
He debuted as Exo’s main vocalist in 2012 and has been an active member of the act’s subunit, Exo-CBX, featuring Xiumin and Baekhyun.
Chen also took part in the six-piece’s latest chart-topping album ‘Obsession’ prior to releasing his debut EP, ‘April, and a Flower’ and second EP ‘Dear My Dear’ last year. Both solo EPs charted high on the UAE iTunes albums chart the day it was dropped.
The vocalist has also visited Dubai on two separate occasions in 2018; Chen performed alongside his bandmates at the ‘SMTown Live World Tour VI in Dubai’ in front of an estimated 15,000 concertgoers and watched the unveil of the group’s song ‘Power’ played at The Dubai Fountain.
Chen along with Baekhyun and Chanyeol are expected to join their enlisted bandmates Xiumin and D.O. in the South Korean military as they’ll be turning 28 years of age.
