(Seoul, July 10) IU and Lee Jong-suk have parted ways after a relationship that spanned four years, with both agencies making the announcement simultaneously on July 10.The IU and Lee Jong-suk breakup was widely discussed across social media platforms in Asia, with an outpouring of messages from fans who had followed the couple since their relationship was first made public in late 2022.
The agencies’ statements were consistent in tone and content, confirming that the split had been amicable, that no outside parties were involved, and that both artists had agreed to maintain a respectful relationship going forward.The reason given for the end of the relationship was the practical difficulty of sustaining a connection when both parties are operating at the peak of demanding entertainment careers with little overlap in their schedules. The statement made clear that the decision was mutual and reached through open dialogue.
A false narrative that had spread across certain online platforms in the weeks prior — asserting that Lee Jong-suk had proposed to IU on multiple occasions and been turned down each time — was confirmed to be the product of AI-generated video content circulated by clickbait accounts.The claim had no basis in reality and had already been dismissed by those close to both parties before the official breakup announcement was made.
The couple’s story began in 2012 and included ten years of friendship before romance entered the picture. Lee Jong-suk’s candid admission at the time of going public — that he had quietly loved IU for a decade before they became a couple — made the relationship feel all the more meaningful to the fans who had championed them. The end of the relationship has been met with sadness in many quarters, but also with appreciation for the care and respect with which both artists have treated each other throughout, and with genuine goodwill for what comes next for each of them individually.