When K-pop stars find love: why Chen of EXO’s wedding plans have caused such a stir in Seoul

Chen of the boy band EXO is not the first K-pop star to find that finding romance is a career-threatening move

K-pop fan clubs are more powerful than in other genres and the internet is making them more powerful still. Puncturing their fantasies has a price

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EXO's Chen has broken countless hearts with his announcement that he plans to marry his girlfriend. Photo: Instagram

Published: 8:30pm, 3 Feb 2020Updated: 12:55pm, 18 Feb 2020

Telling peers about your marriage plans when you know they’ll be upset can’t be easy. So spare a thought for Kim Jong-dae, 28, the young South Korean man better known as Chen in the K-pop boy band EXO.

Not only did he have to break the news to millions of shocked fans around the world – breaking a fair few hearts in the process, too – he had to do so in the knowledge that what should have been one of the happiest times in his life was potentially a catastrophic career move.

K-pop fans do not take kindly to their heartthrobs becoming romantically involved, so it was not surprising that Chen admitted to being nervous as he announced his plans to marry his girlfriend – hinting at a pregnancy – in a letter on social media. He was right to worry.

“When I first saw his letter, I read it multiple times to make sure it wasn’t fake,” said EXO fan Kim H.Y., a 20-year-old student.

“I was heartbroken because Chen was my favourite, but, now, I’m just upset and worried only about the well-being of the other members in the band.”

Exo’s Chen announced the news in a letter on social media.

Among EXO fans, Kim’s has been one of the calmer reactions. She has not joined any of the numerous street protests that have broken out in Seoul outside buildings owned by SM Entertainment, EXO’s management company, for instance. But even so, she feels sufficiently snubbed that she is now demanding Chen be removed from the band.