IU Makes First Public Appearance in 10 Days Following Breakup and Health Issues

Singer-actor IU made her first public appearance in about ten days, following a breakup and health setback.

On July 31, IU took the stage at the “5th Blue Dragon Series Awards,” held at Paradise City in Incheon, alongside actor Ju Ji Hoon, as a presenter for the Best Actor and Best Actress awards.

That day, IU said, “I thought I wouldn’t be nervous today, but standing here, I keep thinking about last year and my heart’s pounding,” adding, “I lived this past year really hard on the strength of the award I received last year. I’m honored to be able to pass on the precious memory I felt to others.”

This appearance drew even more attention as it was her first official public appearance since she consecutively announced a breakup after four years of public dating and health issues.

Earlier, on the 10th of last month, IU broke up with actor Lee Jong Suk. The two confirmed their relationship in December 2022 and had been publicly dating for about four years, but recently ended their romantic relationship and decided to remain on good terms as colleagues. At the time, both sides’ agencies were reserved, saying, “As this is the actor’s personal life, it’s difficult to confirm anything beyond that.”

After news of the breakup, news of her declining health followed. On the 20th of last month, her agency EDAM Entertainment announced that IU’s chronic Eustachian tube patency symptoms had recently worsened, and that her September Goyang Stadium concert, subsequent performances, and the release of her sixth full album would all be postponed.

IU also directly apologized to fans through a fan communication platform, saying, “I’ll focus on treatment and come back as healthy as possible, as soon as I can,” and “I’m sorry that my ear condition seems to have ruined the second half of the year for all of us, when we could have been happy.”

Despite the back-to-back issues, IU finished presenting the awards with a bright smile, calmly sharing a welcome update with fans and viewers.

Source: (A)