IU - Bio, Profile, Facts, Age, Height, Boyfriend, Ideal Type, Birthday

Lee Ji Eun, who is more known by her stage name IU, is a South Korean singer and actress.

She rose to prominence through her massively successful career as a singer, as well as for her appearances in drama series such as Dream High (2011), Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016), and My Mister (2018).

Career

IU has great interest in pursuing a career in the entertainment industry since early age. As a kid, she used to take acting classes.

She then began to take interest in singing after being praised for her performance in middle school.

This aspiring singer went to 20 auditions in order to pursue her dream. Unfortunately, she failed on all of them. She eventually joined LOEN Entertainment in 2007.

IU trained under the agency for around ten months. At first, she was planned to debut as part of a girl group. In the end, she started out as a solo artist.

The then 15 years old made her debut in 2008. She released a single titled Lost Child. The song is part of her first EP Lost and Found. Unfortunately, her debut wasn’t a successful one.

Despite the initial setback, IU decided to move forward with her next releases. Her follow-up albums Growing Up (2009) and IU…IM (2009) got her some mainstream success.

She would then find even bigger success on Last Fantasy (2011), Palette (2017), and Love Poem (2019).

Other than being a successful singer, the woman from Seoul also has an amazing career as an actress. She made her debut in 2011 with the TV series Dream High.

IU would then star in many hit series such as The Producers (2015), Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016), and Hotel del Luna (2019).

Profile

Real Name: Lee Ji Eun (이지은)
Stage Name: IU (아이유)
Nickname: Nation’s Little Sister, Nation’s Sweetheart
Birthday: May 16, 1993
Birthplace: Seoul, South Korea.
Zodiac Sign: Taurus
Nationality: Korean
Religion: –
Profession: Singer, Actress
Education: –
Hobbies: –
Facebook: 아이유(IU) Official
X: @lily199iu (Personal account), @_IUofficial (Official account)
Threads: –
Instagram: @dlwlrma
TikTok: –
YouTube: 이지금 [IU Official]
vLive: IU_Official
Fancafe: IU_Official

Height, Weight, & Physical Appearance

Height: 162 cm (5 ft 3¾ in)
Weight: 47 kg (103 lbs)
Blood Type: O
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Black
Body Measurements: 29-22-29 (Bust-29, Waist-22, and Hips-29 in inches)
Shoe Size: 5 (US)

Family

Father: –
Mother: –
Brother: –
Sister: –

Boyfriend & Dating History

Wooyoung (2PM)

IU and Wooyoung were rumored to be in a special relationship because of the good chemistry shown by the two of them in the drama Dream High. In the drama that aired in 2011, IU and Wooyoung played the characters as a couple who were in love.

Lee Hyun Woo

IU and Lee Hyun Woo were rumored to be dating after Dispatch released photos of the two of them in 2013.

At that time, they were caught going to a movie together at a cinema. The agency later clarified that IU and Lee Hyun Woo were not dating.

Jang Ki Ha

Before, the two of them met each other on Jang Ki Ha’s SBS Power FM radio broadcast in 2013. and had started dating not long after.

Two years later in 2015, their relationship had come out into the open, where both parties admitted to the relationship.

In 2017, after dating for four years, IU and Jang Kiha officially ended their relationship.

Lee Joon Gi

in 2016, IU was rumored to be dating Lee Joon Gi, her co-star in the drama Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo.

Lee Joon Gi was mentioned as the third person between IU and Jang Kiha.

Eunhyuk Super Junior

Rumors of a relationship between IU and Eunhyuk appeared in November 2020. However, IU and Eunhyuk denied that there was a romantic relationship between the two.

Lee Jong Suk

On December 31, 2022, Lee Jong Suk’s agency & IU’s agency released a statement that Lee Jong Suk and IU were dating.

Dispatch reported that Lee Jong Suk and IU had been dating for approximately four months. They spent Christmas together in Nagoya, Japan, and enjoyed three-day vacation together at a luxury resort.

Their relationship is still going strong.

Net Worth

Multiple sources estimated that she has accumulated around $40 million to $45 million of net worth.

As one of the highest-earning celebrities in South Korea, she appears to earn her income through her singing and acting career, as well as brand endorsements.

Charity

Throughout her career, IU has made various donations under her name.

According to a report in 2022, the total of her lifetime donations has reached more than ₩4.3 billion. In 2022 alone, she made over ₩1.5 billion of donation.

Controversies

Accused of Sexualizing Book’s Protagonist Through Her Song’s Lyrics

In 2015, IU released an EP titled Chat-Shire, which achieved both commercial and critical success. However, a track on the album titled Zezé gained attention negatively due to its alleged controversial lyrics.

According to media reports, IU drew inspiration to write Zezé‘s lyrics from My Sweet Orange Tree. This sparked debate where IU was accused of interpreting the 5-year old protagonist in the novel as a “sexual object.”

She refuted the allegations through a public statement, but still apologize for her lyrics.

Plastic Surgery

There is no known information on whether she has undergone any cosmetic surgery to adjust her visual appearance.

Facts

While growing up, IU and her family had some financial problems.
She lived in great poverty for over a year.
She used to stay with her grandmother while her parent worked.
After signing with LOEN Entertainment, this artist spent lots of time in the studio.
She loved being in the studio because she had place to sleep and could eat as much as she wanted.
She got her stage name IU from the agency.
Her stage name is taken from the phrase I and You, meaning the connection of music between people.
She is really nice and appreciative of her fans.
She idolizes GFriend.
IU becomes friends with Suzy and T-ara member Jiyeon, and Apink’s Eunji.
She lives in the same apartment complex with Yoo In Na. They are also best friends.
She has also admitted thaf Yoo In Na is her muse. They even have special nickname IU In Na.
The song Peach is inspired by Sully of f(x).
She has had some dating rumors such as with Eunhyuk of Super Junior in 2012 and Lee Hyun Woo in 2013.
She is the honorary ambassador of EXPO 2012 Yeosu Korea.
This singer likes listening to music, read books, and also surfing the internet.
She has admitted to wanting a surgery on her nose but the doctors are against it.
She is a fan of Kim Tae Woo.
This actress prefers being alone than being in crowded place as it makes her dizzy.
Before being famous, she struggled with an eating disorder called Bulimia.
She has plenty of older male fans.
IU can play the guitar, recorder, piano, and also drums.
She picks purple as favorite color.
She loves eating sweet potato, raw fish, and also raw liver.
Number 8 is her favorite number.
She likes the cool weather.
She thought her blood type is A, but it’s actually O.
Her song Dear Name is the hardest one to sing, according to her.
She was in a reality show called Hyori’s Bed & Breakfast.
She dated Chang Kiha from 2013 until 2017.
This solo artist doesn’t really have an ideal type as they keep changing. In the past she has said that Taeyang of BigBang is her ideal type.

Movies

IU Concert: The Golden Hour (2023), as herself
Dream (2023), as Lee So Min
Broker (2022), as So Young
Shades Of The Heart (2021), as Mi Young
Persona (2019)
Real (2017), as awards ceremony guide (cameo)

Drama Series

When Life Gives You Tangerines (Netflix | 2024), as Ae Soon
Hotel Del Luna (tvN | 2019), as Jang Man Wol
My Mister (tvN | 2018), as Lee Ji An
Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (SBS | 2016), as Hae Soo
The Producers (KBS2 | 2015), as Cindy
Bel Ami (KBS2 | 2013-2014), as Kim Bo Tong
You Are The Best! (KBS2 | 2013), as Lee Soon Shin
Salamander Guru and The Shadow Operation Team (SBS | 2012), as Pickpocket Ji Eun (ep. 6)
Dream High 2 (KBS2 | 2012), as Kim Pil Suk (ep.1)
Dream High (KBS2 | 2011), as Kim Pil Suk

Quotes

“When I was young, even though I received so much love, I used to pay attention to people who disliked me. That’s why my lyrics were so sharp and dark.”

“I have become a person who can focus more on love.”

“I prefer someone who is not overly good-looking. If he’s too good-looking, I would feel that he doesn’t belong to me.”

“My heart felt empty, and I tried to fill the void with food. However, instead of feeling better, I became anxious and felt like I was lacking.”

“Work definitely comes first. I expect the same of my ideal other half too.”