IU and Lee Jong Suk have officially ended their relationship after about four years of publicly dating, but the exact timing of their separation remains unknown.
On July 10, IU’s agency EDAM Entertainment confirmed, “It is true that the two have broken up. They have decided to remain good colleagues.”
Lee Jong Suk’s agency, Ace Factory, also confirmed the news but explained, “It is difficult to provide details because this concerns their private lives.”
Following the announcement, an old breakup rumor that spread through China’s Weibo platform in February 2025 began receiving attention again.
At the time, IU was photographed wearing a ring on her index finger. Some online users claimed that the ring suggested she was single, leading to speculation that the couple had separated.
However, the claim was not supported by official evidence and was treated as an unconfirmed rumor. Even after the breakup was confirmed, there is still no proof that the February 2025 speculation matched the actual timing of their separation.
IU also appeared to dismiss relationship concerns during an April 2025 interview for Netflix’s “When Life Gives You Tangerines.”
When asked about Lee Jong Suk, she carefully said, “As far as I know, he has been very busy.” She added that she attended the interview with the mindset that she “only knew Yang Gwan Sik,” referring to a character from the drama.
Additional rumors appeared in May after reports connected IU with BTS’s V and raised questions about social media birthday tags. At the time, someone close to the couple denied the speculation, saying, “The two are still dating well”.
IU and Lee Jong Suk first met while hosting SBS’s “Inkigayo” in 2012 and publicly confirmed their relationship in December 2022.
While both agencies have confirmed that the couple separated, neither side has revealed when the breakup happened or explained the reason. Any connection between the confirmed separation and earlier online rumors remains unverified.
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