IU and Lee Jong-suk end four-year relationship

Singer and actress IU (Lee Ji-eun, 33) and actor Lee Jong-suk (37) have ended their four-year relationship and decided to go their separate ways.

EDAM Entertainment, IU's agency, and Ace Factory, Lee's agency, each confirmed Friday that "the two have recently concluded their romantic relationship and agreed to remain as good colleagues."

Their connection goes back 14 years. The two first met in 2012 as co-hosts of SBS's live music program "Inkigayo" and spent years building mutual trust as close friends and colleagues in the entertainment industry. They became a couple around Christmas 2022.

At the 2022 MBC Drama Awards, Lee accepted the grand prize and offered what many took as a veiled declaration of his feelings for IU, saying from the stage that he had "liked her for a long time." The two quietly supported each other's careers throughout their relationship before choosing what their agencies described as a "beautiful parting" — one in which they wish each other well.

IU has held her place as one of Korea's top artists since her 2008 debut, releasing a string of megahits including "Good Day" and "Through the Night." She has also steadily built her acting credentials through projects such as "My Mister," "When Life Gives You Tangerines" and "21st Century Lady."

Lee made his prime-time acting debut in 2010 with "Prosecutor Princess" and followed it with hits including "I Hear Your Voice" and "Pinocchio." He is currently awaiting the release of the Disney+ original series "The Remarried Empress."