IU and Lee Jong-seok End 4 Years of Public Dating with a Breakup Confirmation…Choosing to Remain Good Colleagues

From 'World's Sweetheart' to 'Each on Their Own Path'… The final stop of a four-year romance under the spotlight

The top-tier star couple that has represented South Korea's pop culture scene is now walking separate paths: singer 'IU' (real name Lee Ji-eun, 33) and actor 'Lee Jong-seok' (37). Their four-year public relationship, which drew intense attention from the broader public, has come to an end amid fans' disappointment.

On the 10th, IU's agency 'EDAM Entertainment' and Lee Jong-seok's agency 'Ace Factory' said in an official statement, "It is true that the two recently ended their relationship, and they agreed to remain steadfast companions who cheer each other's futures on." The move is seen as a decisive and swift effort to block reckless speculation and clarify the facts.

Their connection began in 2012, when they teamed up as co-MCs for the SBS 'Inkigayo' live broadcast. Over roughly a decade as close entertainment-industry senior and junior, they built their friendship. In 2022, they developed into a romantic relationship and won passionate support from domestic and overseas media and the public.

In particular, shortly after Lee Jong-seok won the grand prize at the 2022 'MBC Drama Awards' for 'Big Mouth', he left an unmistakably direct public confession, saying, "I liked you for a very long time," and the moment remains deeply etched in the public's memory. But the movie-like romance of four years will now remain as a beautiful set of memories in which they respected each other's careers.

After putting the pain of parting behind them, the two are putting even more focus on acting, their primary line of work. IU is set to appear in Netflix's 'Love to Cheat' and 'The Lady of the 21st Century's Military Command', solidifying her presence as an actor on the global stage. Lee Jong-seok also is preparing for the launch of Disney+'s original series 'Empress Reborn', and industry attention is on the distinctive next projects they will put forward.