Become the ultimate EXO fan! Learn all the facts about Chen right here
South Korean-Chinese group EXO keeps delivering precision choreography and layered vocals that still set the standard. The act formed in Seoul in 2011 and now lists nine members: Xiumin, Suho, Lay, Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol, D.O, Kai, and Sehun. Chen remains one of the voices fans return to first, and the last decade has given him plenty more to show.
The hard-working Virgo
Chen, born Kim Jong-dae on September 21, 1992, in Siheung, Gyeonggi province, trained under SM Entertainment starting at age eighteen and joined EXO as its fourth member in 2012. His high-note control became a signature early. He studied in the Advertisement Media MBA program at Hanyang Cyber University, and that same focus now guides his solo work under INB100 while he continues group activities with EXO under SM.
An angel among us
Chen and his family are Catholic, and his baptism name is Mateo. He has long attended services with his mother and quietly supported causes that help families facing financial strain. In 2016 he joined Steve Barakatt for a UNICEF-backed performance of John Lennon’s “Imagine,” part of the Imagine Project for children and peace. Fans still call him Angel Oppa for the steady, low-profile giving that continues offstage.
A poet
Chen contributed “Promise” to EXO’s 2015 album EXODUS and later recorded the solo track “Your Moonlight” for the drama Do You Like Brahms. He also sang on the 2016 drama single “For You” with Xiumin and Baekhyun for Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo. After discharge he expanded the catalog with the mini albums Last Scene in 2022, Door in 2024, and Arcadia in 2025, plus the digital single “Broken Party,” which landed on Billboard’s best K-pop songs list for 2025.
Love
In January 2020 Chen wrote to fans that he planned to marry his longtime girlfriend and that she was expecting their first child, a daughter born that April. The couple welcomed a second daughter in January 2022. Their official wedding followed in October 2023 after earlier pandemic delays. Chen has described the family as the steady center that keeps the rest of his schedule grounded.
A tough battle
Chen enlisted for mandatory service on October 26, 2020, and was discharged on April 25, 2022. He returned to recording and touring right away, releasing Last Scene within months and launching the Asia tours that followed. The same drive that carried him through service now fuels the steady run of solo projects and EXO planning.
Solo Career Milestones Post-Military
Chen’s post-service run includes three mini albums, multiple singles, and headline tours across Asia. Last Scene marked his first solo statement after discharge. Door followed in 2024 with the single “Empty,” and Arcadia arrived in September 2025. The digital single “Broken Party” earned Billboard recognition in 2025. The Beyond the Door and Arcadia concert series kept him on the road through 2026, giving fans live versions of both new cuts and older EXO material.
Agency Shift and EXO-CBX Dynamics
Since 2024 Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin have handled solo and subunit work through INB100 while remaining EXO members. Group promotions and full-band decisions stay with SM. The split lets the three members control release timing and touring for their individual projects without leaving the nine-member lineup that fans still expect to see together.
Growing Family Life
Chen’s family expanded with the second daughter in January 2022, and the couple held their official wedding in October 2023. He has said the routine of school runs and quiet weekends at home gives him the balance that keeps stage schedules sustainable. Fans note that the same steady presence he brings to performances shows up in the way he talks about fatherhood and partnership.
K-Drama OST Performances and Concerts
Chen’s drama ties now extend beyond writing credits. He performed “Everytime” from Descendants of the Sun and other classic OST cuts at KOSTCON 2025 in the Philippines. The same year he folded those songs into the Arcadia tour setlists across Asia. The live versions let him stretch the material with new arrangements while keeping the emotional center that first drew drama fans to his voice.
EXO Group Outlook in 2026
All nine members finished military service by late 2025, clearing the way for full-group activity. Early 2026 discussions center on an eighth studio album and coordinated promotions. Chen’s solo schedule under INB100 runs alongside those plans, so fans can expect both subunit releases and the long-awaited full EXO return in the same window.
Chen still signs off with the same simple line he used years ago: “Be Happy.” The motto fits the path from trainee to father, from enlistment to headline tours, and from early EXO tracks to the 2025-2026 solo run that keeps adding new chapters.
