Lay Zhang Yixing’s absence from his long-awaited reunion with EXO at their fan meeting on December 14 has sparked debate. With promotional materials teasing his appearance and the artist participating in rehearsals for the past month, fans were caught off guard when his attendance was canceled on the very day of the event.
SM Entertainment released an official notice approximately five hours before the fan meeting began. They cited “unavoidable circumstances” for Zhang Yixing’s absence and announced a full ticket refund. However, the lack of a clear explanation quickly fueled speculation among fans. Many had traveled specifically to see the six members of the group, yet only Sehun, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai, and Sehun took the stage.
Lay Had to Fly Back to Beijing Last Minute
The same evening, Zhang Yixing personally addressed fans through social media with an apology as he explained that he had to fly to Beijing to participate in an important event organized by the National Theatre of China. His full statement read:
“To all the friends who care about me:
Hello everyone, I am Zhang Yixing. I had to rush back to Beijing this morning to participate in an important event of the National Theatre. I have now arrived safely in Beijing, please rest assured. Here, I would like to express my deepest apologies for my absence to my fans, my fellow members, my company, and everyone who was affected.
Zhang Yixing
December 14, 2025”
Despite the apology, many fans questioned whether SM Entertainment had failed to properly coordinate his schedule as the singer travelled between China and South Korea multiple times within two months, with no known personal schedule conflicts. Some fans have since called on SM Entertainment to issue a written apology to both Zhang Yixing and fans, compensate for expenses incurred beyond the tickets purchased, and address concerns over unequal resource distribution, such as Zhang’s allegedly brief screen time in their recent music video. Some felt it’s indeed likely to have emergency assignments from national institutions where artists would be required to comply. Others speculate that undisclosed factors contributed to the sudden cancellation of the highly anticipated reunion, which prevented their remaining Chinese member from rejoining the K-pop group for activities in South Korea.
Dulu
lol we all know what the problem is – SM failed again to deliver what they promised. The way how they treat EXO members and how they destroyed EXO brand is epic. The case study how not to do it.
Anon
Who would believe that kind of excuse? Was the China event an unforeseen emergency? Was Lay Zhang the only artiste called up if it was. For sure, the gossip mills in the entertainment industry would have heard of such an emergency. Such events are always planned months in advance.