South Korean singer IU and actor Lee Jong-suk are in a relationship
South Korean singer IU and actor Lee Jong-suk are in a relationship.
Dispatch on Dec. 31 initially broke the news about them dating for four months now.
Lee's agency High Zium Studio confirmed Dispatch's report hours after it made the rounds online. It initially said it's looking into the report.
"Lee Jong Suk recently progressed his relationship with IU, from a close colleague relationship to a loving relationship and the two continue to seriously meet each other," High Zium Studio said in a statement through local entertainment outlet Newsen.
"We ask for your support so that they can continue their beautiful love," it added.
In its report, Dispatch shared paparazzi photos of IU, 29, and Lee, 33, at the airport, saying the couple spent the holidays at a luxury resort in Nagoya in Japan.
They, however, arrived separately according to Dispatch. It said Lee left for Osaka on Dec. 20 for a fan meet, while IU and her younger brother went to Nagoya on Dec. 24.
Dispatch said Lee personally prepared for the trip.
He made the hotel reservation himself and requested for a pick-up service without the knowledge of his manager, Dispatch reported, citing Lee's aide.
The outlet also listed the couple's itineraries leading to Christmas Day, before they flew back to Seoul on Dec. 27.
IU's acquaintance, however, told Dispatch that their family "has already acknowledged their relationship," noting they "have a positive influence on each other."
The two met as co-hosts of the television program Inkigayo in 2012. They became good friends over the years.
Speculations about IU and Lee dating, however, remained prevalent.
Last October, she attended the wedding of Lee's younger brother and sang for the newlyweds.
Lee, meanwhile, alluded to a special someone during his acceptance speech at the 2022 MBC (Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation) Drama Awards last Dec. 30. He won the grand prize for his role in the noir television series Big Mouth.
In his speech, he looked back on his military service and the fears and troubles that plagued him.
"But at that time, there was someone who helped me to find a good direction as a human being and to think positive thoughts," Soompi quoted him as saying. "I want to tell that person that I’m thankful to them for always being so admirable, that I’ve liked them a lot for a very long time, and that I respect and admire them greatly.”
Many took the addressee as Lee's love interest. High Zium Studio, however, neither confirmed nor denied speculations about who that person is.
“He was addressing someone to whom he was personally grateful," Soompi quoted him as saying. “He simply couldn’t share any specific information out of respect for that person, and he was just expressing his gratitude.”
IU is known for her songs Good Day, Blueming, and eight. Lee, meanwhile, appeared in W, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo, and Secret Garden.
Dispatch has a penchant for outing supposed secret couples during New Year. In 2021, it reported about singer Hyomin of T-ara and football player Hwang Ui Jo.
(Editor's Note: This story has been updated to include the statement of High Zium Studio confirming Dispatch's report. The headline, "South Korean singer IU and actor Lee Jong-suk are secretly dating: report," has also been updated in line with this statement.)