Chen

September 21, 2025

Fast Facts
Background
Career Timeline
Why We Love
Surprising Facts
FAQs

Kim Jong-dae, born September 21, 1992, is a South Korean singer and songwriter better known by his stage name Chen. He made his debut in the South Korean-Chinese boy band ‘EXO’ and its subgroup ‘Exo-M’ in 2012. He is best known as the lead vocalist of the boy band ‘Exo.’ Aside from his band’s activities, Chen has also written songs for television shows. He made his solo debut in 2019 with the extended play “April, and a Flower,” which reached number two on the Gaon Album Chart in South Korea and yielded the hit single ‘Beautiful Goodbye.’ Let’s give him the recognition he so richly deserves.

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Kim Jong-dae

Nickname:

Chen

Birth date:

September 21, 1992

Age:

Zodiac Sign:

Virgo

Height:

5' 8"

Relationship Status:

Married

Net Worth:

$7 million

Background

Kim Jong-dae, popularly known by his stage name Chen, was born in Daejeon, South Korea, but lived in the Siheung neighborhood of Jeongwang-dong. Kim Jongdeok is Chen’s only sibling and older brother. His parents first refused to allow him to follow his goal of being a singer, but they eventually agreed.

Chen was trained at ‘SM entertainment’ before officially joining the EXO group in 2011. He is the Lead Vocalist in EXO, which is understandable given his excellent singing abilities. He also joined the SM the Ballad group in 2014, which was founded by ‘SM Entertainment’ in 2010. He and Zhang Liyin sang the Chinese version of the lead single ‘Breath’ on the group’s second album “Breath”. His first solo single since his debut, ‘The Best Luck,’ was released in July 2014 as an original soundtrack for the SBS drama “It’s Okay”, ‘That’s Love,’ starring his fellow EXO member D.O. At the fifth ‘So-Loved Awards’ and the 16th ‘Seoul International Youth Film Festival,’ ‘The Best Luck’ won “Best OST by a Male Artist” and “Best OST Song,” respectively.

Chen announced his marriage to a non-celebrity fiancée who is also expecting a baby at EXO’s official fan cafe on L.Y.S.N. on January 13, 2020. The wedding would be held secretly, according to SM Entertainment, who verified the news. Chen’s wife gave birth to the couple’s first child, a daughter, on April 29, 2020. He then released the single ‘Hello’ on October 15, 2020, just 11 days before entering mandatory military service. Beginning October 26, 2020, he served as an active-duty soldier, and on April 25, 2022, he was released. He is the happy father of two children, having welcomed their second kid in January 2022.

Career timeline

2011

He Joins EXO Group

Chen joins the Exo group in 2011 as the fourth member.

2014

He Releases His First Solo Song

Chen debuts his first solo song titled ‘The Best Luck,’ as an original soundtrack for the SBS drama “It's Okay.”

2015

He Makes His Theater Debut

In the SM C&C production of “In the Heights,” Chen makes his musical theater debut as Benny.

2022

Chen Completes Mandatory Military Service'

Beginning October 26, 2020, Chen serves as an active-duty soldier and is discharged on April 25, 2022.

Why We Love Chen

He has a very powerful voice
Chen is considered the best vocalist in the Exo boy band. He is very talented at singing high notes and low notes.
He is kind and gentle
One of the reasons Chen is greatly admired is because of his gentleness and charismatic personality. This, he clearly shows in interviews
He loves his fans
Chen shows real love to his fans which is very noticeable in the way he makes eye contact with fans when signing autographs. He was given the title “Fansign Boyfriend” because of this.

5 Surprising Facts

Chen shared a room with Lay
Chen shared a room with bandmate Lay which explains their closeness.
Chen speaks fluent Mandarin
He studied Mandarin in April 2012 and over time has become fluent in the language.
He is a forgetful person
Chen frequently writes things down so that he will easily remember them.
He didn't like playing games
Before joining EXO, he did not like playing games.
He wanted to be a vocal coach
Chen wanted to be a vocal coach before joining the EXO boy band.