Following the sudden news of his military enlistment, Kai from the K-pop boyband EXO announced that he will be meeting his fans on May 9 through a fan meeting that will be live-streamed for free on YouTube.
“As the venue has limited space, the event will be free with pre-registration being accepted from members of [EXO’s] official paid fan club [EXO-L-ACE 3, ACE 2]. For those who are unable to be with us, it will be broadcast live on EXO’s YouTube channel," the group's agency, SM Entertainment, said on Thursday.
"As this is a space prepared for those who love Kai to be with him, we ask for your understanding even if there are many shortcomings," it added.
This comes following the sudden news of the military enlistment of Kai, whose real name Kim Jong-In, as a public service worker next week, May 11. The location and time of his enlistment will be kept private.
On Wednesday, the teary-eyed K-pop idol went on Instagram Live to confirm the news, surprising fans worldwide as it is known that the group has been preparing for their comeback album this year.
"There’s so much that I had prepared. What a pity. That’s what’s upsetting. There’s nothing that I could do about this. I’m sad that I can’t show you what I prepared, but I can show you after I return," he said.
SM Entertainment addressed the issue early on saying: “Although Kai had been preparing for Exo’s comeback later this year, due to recent changes in the law regarding military enlistment, Kai will be enlisting on May 11 to complete his basic training, after which he will begin working as a social worker.”
Debuted in 2012 as EXO's main dancer, Kai has successfully sealed his stardom in the K-pop industry, often tagged as the "idol of idols" due to his outstanding dancing and stage presence.
He launched a successful solo career in 2020 with his album Kai followed by Peaches. His recent album Rover gained momentum with its catchy melody and choreography.
