Who is IU?

IU, whose real name is Lee Ji-eun, debuted in 2008 as a solo singer under Loen Entertainment and later joined EDAM Entertainment, a Kakao Entertainment subsidiary.

IU is one of the most renowned female solo singers in Korea, respected for her exquisite vocals and songwriting skills that make her a truly versatile artist, as well as her acting skills that have allowed her to land major roles in well-received dramas and films as an actor under her given name.

IU was not met with fanfare at first, especially from K-pop lovers who preferred to see groups with dances accompanying their songs.

She openly reminisced about her debut stage being a sad one without any clapping from the audience in an interview with the press afterward, but quickly became a Korean sweetheart with “Good Day” (2010) dance-slash-pop track followed by “YOU&I” (2011), “Friday” (2013) and “The Red Shoes“ (2013).

She started her acting career in 2011 as a cast member of “Dream High,” a KBS drama series set in a fictional arts high school where students endeavor to become celebrities, along with multiple appearances on TV shows that highlighted her acting skills and natural talent in front of the camera. In that same year, she released her first official self-written song, “Hold My Hand” (2011), and has since released multiple songs that she wrote herself.

Since then, she has appeared in multiple dramas, including "The Producers" (2015), "My Mister" (2018) and "Hotel del Luna" (2019).

She also continued her successful music career with her fourth full-length album "Palette" (2017), the EP "Love Poem" (2019), her fifth full-length album "Lilac" (2021) and her sixth EP "The Winning" (2024).

In 2025, IU returned to the screen in the Netflix series "When Life Gives You Tangerines," earning widespread acclaim for her portrayal of Oh Ae-sun. She most recently starred alongside Byeon Woo-seok as the fiercely ambitious chaebol heiress Seong Hui-ju in the MBC drama "Perfect Crown."

BY WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]