Unexpected news has come from EXO's Lay, who was forced to miss his fan meeting. Only five of the nine members of the K-pop group EXO will be present at the Inspire Arena in Incheon on, Sunday December 14, 2025.
In an official statement, SM Entertainment explained that EXO's Lay would not be participating "due to unavoidable circumstances." The agency representative also asked for fans' understanding regarding the sudden change announced on the day of the event.
As a responsible step, SM Entertainment offered a full refund solution without admin fees for EXO-L (the name for EXO fans) who canceled their plans to watch the fan meeting because the Chinese member was suddenly announced to be absent.
EXO's Lay's contract with SM Entertainment expired on April 8, 2022, coinciding with the group's anniversary. Despite leaving the agency that made him famous, he emphasized that he remains a member of EXO.
However, EXO's Lay did not participate in the preparation and promotion of EXIST's album in 2023. As a result, fans were enthusiastic when they heard the news that he would join Suho, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai, and Sehun for the fan meeting and new album this year.
Meanwhile, the other three members, Baekhyun, Chen, and Xiumin, will not be participating in the comeback due to their legal dispute with SM Entertainment. The members of the EXO-CBX subunit ended their exclusive contracts in 2023.
Baekhyun and his friends' lawyers accused the agency of being non-transparent regarding salary payments and of practicing "artist monopoly." They recently accepted all the terms proposed after the second mediation session.
Baekhyun, Chen, and Xiumin stated that they were willing to reach a peaceful settlement to allow EXO's full comeback at the end of the year, while adhering to the 10% commission sharing requirement.
In contrast, SM Entertainment believes that the dispute and breach of the exclusive contract have undermined the company's credibility. Baekhyun, Chen, and Xiumin have also filed objections. The EXO'verse fan meeting will be held today in two sessions, at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM WIB.
Ahead of the event, SM Entertainment released the music video for their latest song, "I'm Home," a ballad that captures the warmth felt when reunited with loved ones. EXO's Lay also appears in the music video and participated in the recording. "I'm Home" will be included on EXO's eighth album, REVERXE, due out in early 2026.
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