K-pop idolChen , who is a member of boy groupEXO , reportedly had his first child on April 29, which his company, SMEntertainment , confirmed per Soompi.- He announced in January 2020 that he was soon to be married and expecting a child with his fiancée.
- Fans reacted on social media with overwhelming support, congratulating Chen.
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Chen, whose real name is Kim Jong-dae, has welcomed his first child into the world alongside his wife. A member of EXO, one of the biggest K-pop boy bands in the world, Chen announced in January 2020 that he was not only getting married, but that his wife was pregnant with their first child. "I have a girlfriend I want to spend the rest of my life with... a blessing came my way," Chen wrote in a letter to fans, per a translation by Soompi. On April 29, Soompi reported that SM Entertainment, the entertainment company to which Chen is signed, had confirmed that Chen had given birth to a daughter.
Fans of Chen and his group, EXO, were quick to celebrate the news on social media, responding with overwhelming support, working to drown out any negative discussions. In January, The Korea Herald reported on a protest some EXO fans held outside an SM Entertainment complex in Gangnam in which they demanded that Chen leave EXO as a result of the announcement. At the same time, many fans were quick to express their support for Chen with hashtags like #AlwayswithCHEN or #EXOLBelievesInEXO9, referring to the fandom's name, EXO-L, and the nine current members of EXO.
That support has largely carried over to news of Chen's daughter, with many EXO-Ls and Soondingies — the name Chen gave to his fans — taking to social media to show an outpouring of love and support, trending #종대야_축하해 (which means "Jongdae, congratulations") and #WelcomEXOPrincess worldwide.
—봄뚜 #종대야_축하해 (@imexotrashtbh) April 29, 2020
—Mark (Loudest Fanboy) (@MarkTheFan2) April 29, 2020
—夜☆ (@Pikuchen) April 29, 2020
Many were also quick to point out the serendipitous timing: Chen first debuted as a member of EXO in April 2012, and later debuted as a soloist with his album "April, and a Flower" in April 2019.
—Slow Walk w/ LOEY™ (@xiangyeol) April 29, 2020
—zay congratulations chen (@zaykdlin) April 29, 2020
—AS exo twice fanart (@alyarozaidi) April 29, 2020
While there was a bit of friction due to negative hashtags, fan discussion on Twitter was overwhelmingly supportive, with many highlighting the need to respect Chen and his family's privacy.
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