A Grand Beginning: 'Grand Duchess' Aftermath → Breakup → Cancelled Activities .. IU's Troubled Times [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

Singer and actress IU (33, real name Lee Ji-eun) continues to face a troubled period.

There is no hardship like this. Since the beginning of this year, IU has been unexpectedly enduring an extremely difficult time.

IU, who swept the globe last year with the Netflix series 'The Escape of the Brave' (Paksok Soksotsuda), made a grand comeback to television screens this spring with MBC's drama '21st Century Grand Duchess' (hereinafter 'Grand Duchess'). However, the drama became embroiled in controversy over historical distortion, directly targeting IU as the lead actress. Despite achieving a high viewership rating of 13.8% and generating intense public interest, the production team was criticized for committing historical inaccuracies. Ultimately, both the production team and the two leads, IU and Byun Woo-seok, issued repeated public apologies through official channels and social media.

IU, once a representative star who successfully captured both career success and love, has now left a stain on her filmography and also received bitter news regarding her personal life. Recently, she ended her four-year public relationship with actor Lee Jong-suk, who is four years her senior.

Earlier, on the 10th, IU's agency stated, "It is true that IU has recently broken up with Lee Jong-suk," and added, "The two have decided to remain good colleagues."

As a result, after admitting to a pink-colored scandal with Lee Jong-suk on December 31, 2022, IU ended her romantic relationship for the first time in four years and returned to being just colleagues.

Given that both individuals are top stars with high recognition domestically and internationally, news of their breakup has continued to generate widespread online interest. In this context, on the 20th, it was reported that IU has been continuing legal action against an extreme cyberbully, adding to public concern. Bully A is said to have posted a total of 52 false messages about IU on social media from March 2025 to October 2025. The bully indiscriminately spread rumors including allegations of plagiarism against IU, claims that she holds Chinese nationality or acts as a proxy for Chinese capital, assertions that 'The Escape of the Brave' failed at the overseas box office, accusations of marketing using the late Sulli, Goo Hara, and Jonghyun, and suspicions of media control and public opinion manipulation.

In response, IU's agency EDAM filed an application for discovery against Meta with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on the 15th. Discovery (28 U.S.C. §1782) is a system of international judicial cooperation prescribed under U.S. federal law, allowing U.S. federal courts to authorize the acquisition of evidence held by companies or individuals within the United States for use in trials currently underway or scheduled abroad.

Furthermore, on this day, IU personally revealed that she has completely postponed her comeback as a singer due to deteriorating health, raising concerns among fans.

On the 20th, via fan platform V LIVE, IU stated, "The Goyang Stadium concert scheduled for this September has ultimately become difficult to proceed." She added, "In fact, my chronic condition of eustachian tube dysfunction has worsened recently. Experts have advised that it would be unwise to hold concerts requiring wide movement and heavy sweating for the time being. Even I feel that performing in September under my current condition is unrealistic."

IU also shared, "In fact, this year's Goyang concert was planned as the start of a nationwide tour after a long break. I am truly sorry that my ear condition seems to have ruined everyone's second half of 2026, which should have been filled with happiness. Regarding the new album I mentioned earlier—the sixth full-length album—since its main promotion would have centered on concerts and tours, we will unfortunately have to delay the album release date slightly."

Fortunately, IU has promised a comeback in the near future, signaling an end to her troubled times. She said, "The illness I am suffering from is not one that causes severe pain or makes daily life impossible. However, since my profession is singing, I made this decision based on the judgment that it would be inappropriate to present happy performances to audiences without being in peak condition. Please do not worry about whether 'IU is very sick.'" She continued, "I will receive treatment, take all possible measures, and focus on improving my physical condition during the second half of the year so that we can definitely start 2027 together. I will strive even harder."

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*This content was translated by AI.