South Korean actors IU and Lee Jong-suk confirmed they ended their relationship after dating publicly for four years. Their agencies announced the breakup on July 10, 2026, stating they decided to maintain a good collegial senior-junior relationship moving forward [1, 2, 3].
IU and Lee Jong-suk first met in 2012 when they co-hosted the SBS music program Inkigayo. They remained friends for about 10 years before dating publicly starting in late 2022, following Lee's public confession at an awards ceremony that year [1, 2, 4, 5, 6]. The couple had maintained a stable relationship despite breakup rumors in 2023, which they denied at the time [5].
Sources close to the actors said their increasingly busy schedules led to less time together, which contributed to the breakup after four years [1, 2, 7, 8]. Lee Jong-suk's agency Ace Factory said, "李鍾碩與IU分手是真的，兩人決定以好的同事、前後輩身分繼續相處" (Lee Jong-suk and IU's breakup is true; they decided to continue as good colleagues and senior-junior) [2]. IU's agency EDAM similarly confirmed they would "continue to maintain a good colleague relationship" [3].
IU, 33, recently finished filming the drama "21st Century Queen" and is preparing to release a new album alongside a concert scheduled for September 2026 at Goyang Stadium [1, 2, 4]. Lee Jong-suk, who is four years older than IU, is preparing for the Disney+ series "The Remarried Empress" and will star in the upcoming movie "Lee Seop's Love" [1, 2, 9].
A Korean YouTube fortune teller had predicted their breakup in April 2026, citing incompatible personalities and saying "這兩個人的緣分已經斷了" (the fate between these two has ended) [10].
The couple's agencies confirmed their breakup just under a month ago, emphasizing a respectful and amicable parting. IU's concert in September remains scheduled as planned [1, 3].
