Lee Jong Suk and IU went from colleagues to friends, then lovers, before ultimately returning to their original senior-junior relationship.
In July, IU and Lee Jong Suk confirmed that they had ended their four-year relationship. Their busy schedules reportedly made it difficult to maintain their romance. News of their breakup sent shockwaves through the Asian entertainment industry, with fans expressing deep regret over the end of a relationship that had lasted for years.
Before they started dating, IU and Lee Jong Suk had been friends and colleagues for more than a decade. Lee Jong Suk once said that IU had “always been a part of my heart.” After their breakup was announced, fans were left with many questions, and IU may have just provided some answers.
Recently, IU released a digital single featuring two songs, “Unknown Planet” and “Dear My Crazy Soulmate.” Fans have paid particular attention to the lyrics of “Unknown Planet,” believing that the song may have been inspired by the end of IU’s relationship. The lyrics begin by recalling how the two people first met and gradually fell in love before shifting toward the story of how their relationship eventually came to an end.
The song recalls the beginning of a romance through memories of an unexpected first encounter, awkward conversations, a night that felt too short, their first kiss, a special nickname only the lover used, and the ways they reconciled after arguments. The narrator ultimately decides to leave all of those memories behind and walk away, taking their goodbye with her.
The song ends with a bittersweet reflection on a future that might have been. IU sings about leaving everything behind and saying goodbye, emphasizing that it is not because she still misses the person or regrets that their love ended. Rather, the memories—from conversations that lasted all night and shared laughter to familiar streets where they once ran to meet each other and the future they imagined together—remain as everything that once made up their love. She chooses to leave all of it behind and move forward.
After reading the lyrics, many fans speculated that they could represent IU’s feelings following her breakup with Lee Jong Suk. Fans also shared their own emotions while reflecting on what they saw as IU’s mature perspective on love and heartbreak. One fan wrote that even if a past relationship does not become someone’s final love, “she loved deeply, she was happy enough to dare to dream about a future with him, and she doesn’t regret the time they spent together.” Another said the song was heartbreaking but showed “a beautiful and graceful ending,” adding that IU’s approach felt incredibly mature. Others described “Unknown Planet” as one of IU’s most direct and vulnerable songs, saying they could feel how personal the lyrics were and how much emotion she poured into writing them.
IU and Lee Jong Suk dated for four years, but their relationship actually stretched back more than a decade. They went from colleagues to friends, then lovers, before ultimately returning to the senior-junior relationship they had before. Their story began in 2012, when the two young stars became MCs of SBS’s music program Inkigayo. IU and Lee Jong Suk worked together for around three months and had such strong on-screen chemistry that few would have guessed they did not initially get along.
During a television appearance, Lee Jong Suk admitted that he initially disliked IU because she was the one who suggested that the two MCs wear costumes. However, after they stopped working together, he came to regret his earlier feelings and developed a greater affection for her. IU also apologized to Lee Jong Suk, and the two eventually became close friends. Over their 10 years of friendship, they remained extremely close, with IU even performing at the wedding of Lee Jong Suk’s younger brother.
On December 30, 2022, Dispatch revealed that IU and Lee Jong Suk were dating. The outlet published photos of the two traveling together in Japan. Neither star denied the report, and they quickly confirmed their relationship. That same evening, Lee Jong Suk attended the MBC Drama Awards and appeared to reference his girlfriend while accepting an award. “There is someone who guided me in the right direction when I was filled with anxiety. I really want to say something to that person on this occasion. Thank you for always being such an amazing person. I want to tell you that I have cherished and respected you for a very long time.”
When that “someone” was revealed to be IU, the two quickly became one of the entertainment industry’s most beloved celebrity couples. Throughout their four-year relationship, they kept their romance largely private while continuing to focus on their respective careers. Unfortunately, after spending four years building their relationship, Lee Jong Suk and IU have now returned to being colleagues as they once were—a development that has left many fans deeply saddened.
Sources: kenh14