SM Entertainment
The year 2020 has started off with a great start and like always, major breaking news involving an A-list K-Pop idol’s love life has began to spread all over the world.
But this time around, it’s different.
EXO’s Chen announced to EXO-L’s and to the public that he will be getting married to his girlfriend through a hand-written letter. Congratulations are definitely in order for both him and the lovely woman. And we know. Saying that this is big news would be an understatement. Which is why it’s worth noting a few certain things about Chen and the announcement of his big day.
Dispatch Didn’t Make Their Big New Year Announcement
If you’ve been a K-Pop fan for a while, you’d know well that South Korean media agency Dispatch usually releases major news related K-Pop celebrities dating. It almost usually happens every new year on January 1st, with the exception of some years where the media refrained from releasing anything due to specific reasons including political tension in South Korea and etc.
Knowing Dispatch, one could probably almost be certain that they knew about it. But given that the news was released by Chen himself, it’s possible that SM Entertainment and Dispatch cooperated with each other on their own terms.
Mandatory Military Service
Chen actually still has to enlist in the military, as all able-bodied male South Korean citizens must serve in the military for around two years. Having said that, it’s possible that he announced the news of him getting married because his time to enlist is near, much like how BIGBANG’s Taeyang did when he married actress Min HyoRin before serving.
His Private Life Related To Dating Was Unfortunately Invaded In The Past
Fans were angered when photos of Chen and a woman that he was in a relationship with went viral. Angry towards Chen? Of course not. While some EXO-L’s did dislike the fact that he was in a relationship, the fandom in general were more angry that the media were violating his privacy. At the moment, it is also unclear whether the woman in the photo is the same woman he is getting married to.
Instiz
How The Fans Are Responding
Chen’s recent announcement and how fans are reacting to it has shown that K-Pop fandom culture is not like what it used to be like in the past. In the past, mostly domestic fans would be going haywire spewing criticism and sometimes even almost hatred towards the idols when news of dating or marriage broke out. Times have changed and the fans couldn’t be more happier for Chen.
How The Media Are Responding
There has been nothing but congratulatory messages for Chen from the media. However, they also do seem to be very curious about the blessing that Chen referred to as one of the reasons that lead him to making the decision of getting married. Many news agencies initially were more curious about whether a baby was on the way when Chen talked about his blessing. Most believed that the blessing was referring to a baby. And SM Entertainment did indeed confirm that Chen’s fiancé was pregnant. However, they did also stress that they wouldn’t be revealing how far along in pregnancy she is. We’re only curious about one thing. Boy or girl?
