Are these IU’s feelings after breaking up with Lee Jong Suk?
Lee Jong Suk and IU evolved from colleagues to friends, then to lovers, before ultimately returning to their original senior-junior relationship.

Back in July, IU and Lee Jong Suk confirmed their breakup after four years of dating. Busy schedules made it difficult for them to maintain the relationship. News of their split sent shockwaves through the Asian entertainment industry. Fans on social media expressed deep regret over the end of the stars’ beautiful, long-standing romance.

Before dating, IU and Lee Jong Suk had been friends and colleagues for a decade. Lee Jong Suk once said that IU was “always a part of his heart.” Following the announcement of the breakup, fans were left with many questions—and it seems IU may have just provided some answers.

She recently released a digital single featuring two tracks: “Unknown Planet” and “Dear My Crazy Soulmate.” Fans paid particular attention to the lyrics of “Unknown Planet,” believing the song might be about the end of her relationship. The lyrics begin by describing their first meeting and how their love blossomed, before shifting to recount how things came to an end.

IU releases new music…

… after breaking up with Lee Jong Suk. Photo: X

“On an ordinary day, you suddenly opened the door and walked in. Do you remember the moment our love began? Soft words faded amidst shy laughter, and that night—a night that felt strangely short because we didn’t want it to end—I think I’ll never forget it. The song playing when we shared our first kiss, the nickname only you used for me, the ways we made up after every argument—everything that made up our love. I’ll leave it all here and walk away, leaving the farewell behind.”

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The song concludes with a touch of regret regarding a future that might have been, while IU declares she will leave everything behind and say goodbye: “It’s not that I still miss you, nor do I regret that our love has ended. Yet, the reason I keep lingering here certainly cannot be summed up in a single word like ‘waiting’ or ‘regret.’ The all-night conversations, the laughter that grew to sound alike, the streets I used to run down to meet you, and the future we imagined together every day—everything that made up our love. I’ll leave it all here and walk far away, leaving our farewell behind.”

Upon reading the lyrics, many fans speculate that this might reflect IU’s feelings following her breakup with Lee Jong Suk. Fans shared their thoughts and reflected on IU’s mature mindset: “At the very least, we know that even if a past love didn’t last… she loved deeply, she was happy enough to dream of a future with him, and she has no regrets about the time they spent together… Even after it ended, she was able to write a wonderful song about it… It’s sad, but we can all see it was a graceful and dignified conclusion… To me, that shows real maturity,” “It’s heartbreaking! I think this is one of the most candid and sincere songs she’s ever written. She held nothing back. It’s so personal; you can truly feel and understand exactly what she was going through when she wrote it,” “‘Unknown Planet’ is definitely one of the songs with the most direct and vulnerable lyrics IU has ever penned. She opened up about what happened in their relationship. As a Uaena, it breaks my heart to know they had actually planned a future together…”

Lee Jong Suk and IU dated for four years, but they had actually known each other for over a decade. They went from colleagues to friends, then lovers, and finally returned to their original senior-junior dynamic. It all began in 2012, when the two young stars started co-hosting the SBS music show *Inkigayo*. They had such great chemistry as hosts over those three months that no one suspected they actually disliked each other.

IU and Lee Jong Suk have known each other since 2012. Photo: X

On a TV show, Lee Jong Suk admitted he didn’t like IU because she was the one who came up with the ideas… …thought the two hosts were wearing costumes. However, after they stopped working together, Lee Jong Suk came to regret the situation and grew fonder of her. IU also apologized to Lee Jong Suk, and they became friends. In…

After 10 years of friendship, the couple became inseparable, with IU even singing at Lee Jong Suk’s younger brother’s wedding.

On December 30, 2022, Dispatch revealed the couple was dating. The “ghostly” photographer captured a series of photos of IU and Lee Jong Suk traveling together in Japan. They didn’t deny it but quickly confirmed their relationship. That same evening, Lee Jong Suk attended the MBC Drama Awards and mentioned his girlfriend when accepting an award: “There’s someone who guided me in the right direction when I was full of anxiety. Taking this opportunity, I really want to say something to that person. Thank you for always being so wonderful. I want to tell you that I’ve cherished and respected you for a very long time.”

When this “person” was revealed to be IU, the two became the “golden couple” of showbiz. For the past four years, they kept their relationship quite private, diligently focusing on building their careers. Unfortunately, however, Lee Jong Suk and IU – who had nurtured a relationship for 4 years – have now returned to being just “colleagues.” This has left fans extremely disappointed.

It’s regrettable that after 4 years, they have gone their separate ways. Image: X