IU and Lee Jong-suk Have Broken Up After 4 Years Together

IU and Lee Jong-suk are over. Both agencies confirmed the split on July 10, EDAM Entertainment on IU's side, Ace Factory on Lee Jong-suk's, and the statements landed within hours of each other. Ace Factory added one line that does a lot of work: the two have agreed to "remain as good colleagues."

The relationship ran four years, which by Korean celebrity standards is a long public stretch. They first crossed paths in 2012 as co-MCs on SBS's Inkigayo, spent about a decade as industry acquaintances, and then went official in 2022. The confirmation came partly through Lee Jong-suk himself, after winning the Grand Prize at the 2022 MBC Drama Awards for Big Mouth, he said from the stage that he wanted someone to know he'd cared about her "for a very long time." That speech effectively ended the guessing game, and the two became one of the rare K-celebrity couples who stayed publicly acknowledged rather than dancing around it.

IU, 33 (real name Lee Ji-eun), debuted as a singer in 2008 and has built one of the longer careers in Korean pop. She's also been active as an actress, with recent credits including My Mister, the Netflix series When Life Gives You Tangerines, and the upcoming 21st Century Grand Prince's Wife. Lee Jong-suk, 37, started as a model in 2005 before pivoting to acting with Prosecutor Princess in 2010. His drama credits include Secret Garden, I Hear Your Voice, and Pinocchio. He has a Disney+ series, The Empress of Remarriage, coming soon.

No reason for the split has been given by either side, which is standard. The timing is suspicious only in that both are heading into busy release windows, but that's probably coincidence rather than calendar strategy. The "good colleagues" framing is the closest thing to a soft landing either agency could offer, and both chose it.