BEFORE 2022 ended, Korean stars IU or Lee Ji-eun and Lee Jong-suk confirmed they were in a romantic relationship through their respective agencies.
After their revelation, Lee and IU wrote heartfelt messages to their fans and sought their support and understanding for their blossoming relationship.
On December 31, Dispatch revealed that IU and Lee have been dating for approximately four months.
Lee’s agency, High Zium Studio, confirmed this news in a statement and asked for the public’s support for the actor’s relationship with his fellow star.
“Actor Lee Jong Suk recently progressed his relationship with IU from a close colleague relationship to a loving relationship and the two continue to seriously meet each other.We ask for your support so that they can continue their beautiful love,” High Zium Studio wrote.
IU’s agency, EDAM Entertainment, later commented on the news, saying the couple have known each other a long time and have developed romantic feelings for each other.
“Lee Jong Suk and IU have been colleagues for a long time and recently their relationship developed into lovers,” the agency said. “We are asking the fans for their warm attention towards the couple.”
IU’s message to fans
The South Korean singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress IU uploaded an earnest letter for her fandom called “Uaena” in response to the confirmation of her relationship with Lee.
In her fan cafe post, IU told fans that her feelings have grown for the actor who has been a long-time colleague and who has been supporting her endeavors.
“I am developing good feelings for a person who has been a colleague for a long time and we have been relying on each other. Thankfully, he has been supporting me for a long time. He has always told me ‘you’re cool, so cool’. He is a reliable and cute person who gives me sincere encouragement,” the singer-actress wrote.
IU also apologized to her fans for surprising them with the dating news and thanked them for their congratulatory messages.
“I’m sorry for the surprise, but I feel even more sorry and thankful to our UAENA who were asking me about this and congratulating me first,” said IU.
The award-winning performer also assured her fans that she’s in a “good emotional condition and having a good time.” She’s also feeling more passionate and proud about her work because of Lee, she added.
Lee Jong-suk’s letter to fans
Big Mouth star Lee Jong-suk wrote to his fans one day after Dispatch broke the news of his new relationship with IU.
While Lee thanked his fans for their endless support for his career, the actor apologized for forgetting to tell them the “most important thing.”
“I first met her in my mid-20s and it felt like an inexperienced love, something big that I couldn’t achieve. We have been friends for a long time. Well, I want to elaborate better…She somehow stayed on my mind even when I was living my own life,” the actor wrote.
The actor also described IU’s role in his life now that they are in a romantic relationship. According to Lee, the singer-actress motivates him to become a better person.
“She would share my concerns in life and I could lean on her as my friend. And she is sometimes like my older sister although she is younger than me. She is an amazing person that is mature but also makes me want to protect her. And now she makes me want to be a better person,” said Lee.
At the end of his letter, the actor hoped his fans could see them “in a favorable light with warm hearts.”
IU and Lee first met in Inkigayo as hosts ten years ago. They became friends before developing romantic feelings for each other.
Lee is well-known for his lead roles in various Korean dramas including I Can Hear Your Voice (2013), Doctor Stranger (2014), Pinocchio (2014), W (2016), While You Were Sleeping (2017), and Big Mouth (2022). He recently won a Daesang award at the 2022 MBC Drama Awards for his performance in Big Mouth.
IU is a singer-actress who starred in many dramas including Dream High (2011), Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016), and Hotel Del Luna (2019), to name a few.
IU is also one of the most successful female soloists in South Korea due to her chart-topping tracks including Through the Night (2017), Bbibibi (2018), and Blueming (2019).
