IU Returns to the Stage 10 Days After Health Scare and Breakup: 'My Heart Is Pounding'

IU stepped onto the stage at the 5th Cheongryong Series Awards in Incheon's Paradise City on July 31, her first public appearance in about ten days, presenting the lead acting awards alongside actor Joo Ji-hoon.

She opened with a candid admission: "I thought I wouldn't be nervous today, but standing here, memories of last year came rushing back and my heart started pounding." The line landed with particular weight given everything that had preceded it.

The appearance came roughly ten days after a run of difficult news. On July 10, her agency and Lee Jong-suk's agency jointly confirmed that the two had ended their relationship. IU and Lee had gone public in December 2022 and spent about four years in an openly acknowledged relationship before deciding to part ways and, in the language of both agencies, "remain as good colleagues." Both sides declined to elaborate, citing personal privacy.

Ten days after the breakup announcement, on July 20, her label EDAM Entertainment disclosed that IU's longstanding patulous Eustachian tube condition (이관개방증, a chronic ear disorder in which the Eustachian tube stays abnormally open, causing distorted hearing of one's own voice) had worsened significantly. The label announced it was postponing her planned September concert at Goyang Stadium, the rest of her national tour dates, and the release of her sixth full-length album, all indefinitely.

IU addressed fans directly through the Bubble communication platform, writing that she was sorry for "ruining the second half of the year that could have been happy for all of us" because of her ear condition, and promising to return as quickly as possible after focusing on treatment. The apology carried a characteristic self-blame that her fanbase, Uaena, received with an outpouring of support.

At the Cheongryong awards, though, none of that heaviness was visible on stage. IU referenced last year's win, when she took the Best Actress prize for her role in When Life Gives You Tangerines, saying the award had given her the energy to work hard throughout the year. "Being able to share that precious memory as a presenter is an honor," she said.

She completed the presentation with a composed smile, and the appearance served as a quiet signal that she is stable and engaged, even if her performance schedule remains on hold. How quickly the tour and album can be rescheduled will depend on her treatment progress, but her presence at a major industry ceremony suggests she is not stepping back entirely. Circle the date: a full return to concert stages before year's end is the outcome to watch.