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On May 26, 2023, Korean EXO fans expressed that they are against EXO continuing as a nine-member K-pop boy group. They brought the matter to the attention of the group's agency, SM Entertainment, as they parked a truck conveying their message opposite the agency's headquarters.
The side of the truck contained a message about fans' wishes for Chen and Chanyeol to be removed from the group. The message clarified that this was to safeguard the well-being of the other members of the group.
However, these concerns from Korean EXO-Ls aren't the result of recent occurrences but bring to the forefront past controversies that idols were involved in a few years ago. Given that both the issues involving Chen and Chanyeol were based on their personal life interactions, international fans come in to defend their idols.
Korean EXO-Ls' protest truck and its intentions
When the news of Korean EXO fans placing announcement trucks in front of SM Entertainment spread across the internet, it initially confused fans since there were no current incidents that directed hate or anger toward the two idols, Chen and Chanyeol. However, netizens later found that the protest truck was in connection to controversies that the idols were held accountable for a few years ago.
Translated to English, the tweet by the fandom read:
5/26 (May 26) EXO6 started the support truck demonstration. The venue is in front of SM Entertainment.
The truck was placed at the Seoul Forest Station, right opposite SM Entertainment, and contained a message that did not sit well with some netizens and fans.
The message on the truck read:
Kick out Chen and Chanyeol who are hurting the group. Stop deceiving the fans. EXO doesn't need vicious members. Chen and Chanyeol OUT. Maintain EXO's OT6 system, guarantee (their) promotions, protect your artists, SM stop being bystanders.
Additionally, the EXO-L who was organizing the event also took to Twitter to alert fellow South Korean fans of the group who are in agreement with their stance. However, several EXO-Ls were furious about the protest.
Chen's marriage and his then-fiancee's pregnancy announcement
In January 2020, SM Entertainment released an official statement announcing that the main vocalist of the group, Chen, has found a non-celebrity partner for himself and the two would soon tie the knot. The idol himself shared a hand-written letter expressing his happiness as he shared the news.
Fans were delighted about the news and soon after, another statement was released by the agency, which caused a stir in the fandom. The statement was a confirmation of the rumor that Chen's then-fiancee was pregnant. Since the news came to light before the couple had tied the knot, some Korean EXO-Ls were angered by the same.
Ever since the news made headlines, many fans started to boycott Chen's content and have been particularly against the idol's continuation as a member of the group. Regardless, the group supported its members and received overwhelming support from international fans who believed that the artist's private life shouldn't be discussed.
Chanyeol's dating and cheating scandal
Soon after Chen found himself in the midst of controversies, Chanyeol, too, came under fire in a dating and cheating scandal that made headlines. In October 2020, as per a report by Allkpop, a netizen took to social media to express that she, as someone who spent three years with the idol as his girlfriend, was being cheated on.
She released a series of photos along with a letter addressed to Chanyeol where she expressed her anger towards the idol. She accused him of being in a relationship with 10 other women and said that some of them were idols from K-pop girl groups, YouTubers, and air hostesses. The letter also revealed that the idol was verbally abusive towards the woman, gaslit her, and threatened her.
Given the alleged proof that she presented, some fans wavered in their support towards Chanyeol. Neither the agency nor the idol came forth denying or confirming the allegations, causing further instability in the fandom. However, the idol later indirectly spoke about the matter while intending to reject the facts of the controversy.
Regardless, some fans had already begun to express their dislike towards the idol and communicated the same in several ways. From protesting with balloons that read "Chanyeol Out" to boycotting his content that came with the group's releases, fans made it clear that they did not wish for the idol to continue with the group. However, there were still many who supported Chanyeol and respected the boundaries of his personal life.
Ever since these two idols' controversies came to light, many EXO-Ls have wanted them out of the group as they worry about them negatively influencing the other group members. Additionally, this issue also stirred up internal fan wars where some South Korean fans and the rest of the fandom went back and forth as they debated over their stances online.
While the protesting fans think that K-pop idols need to set a good example for the audience that grows up watching and being influenced by them, others disagree with the same and believe that their personal lives shouldn't be a topic of debate.
