IN PHOTOS: Get to know South Korea's superstar IU
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If you're a newbie K-Pop fan, you probably heard BTS's Jungkook, TWICE's Nayeon, Red Velvet's Yeri, and other K-Pop idols mentioning IU. Aside from being your idols' respected sunbaenim (senior), how well do you know South Korea's superstar?
IU or Lee Ji-eun, known for her angelic voice and music producing skills, has been in the entertainment industry for a long time. She debuted under LOEN Entertainment, now KakaoM, with “Lost Child” in 2008 at the age of 15.
According to reports, IU experienced financial hardships when she was young. She used to live in a small, cockroach-infested room with her grandmother and younger brother.
For IU, the road to stardom was not easy. She experienced the tedious process of auditions and faced countless rejections. But she knew she wanted to be in the entertainment industry at a young age, so she worked hard to make her dreams come true.
Earning the title of “Nation's Little Sister” and “Nation's Sweetheart,” IU secured numerous endorsements from major brands and became a household name in South Korea.
IU gained popularity with her smash hit "Good Day" in 2010. In 2015, she stepped up to the next level and proved her ability to craft emotional and relatable music by releasing her first self-produced album "CHAT-SHIRE," followed by “Palette” which topped Billboard's 20 Best K-Pop Albums in 2017 and the rest is history.
Since then, IU has released chart-topping tracks, performed sold-out concerts, and received numerous awards from various award shows, including seven Daesang, the most significant award given in the Korean music industry. With this huge recognition, she has been recognized by Billboard as the all-time leader of its K-Pop Hot 100 chart with the most number-one songs.
She has also proven her versatility as an actress. She began building an acting career in 2011 by appearing in the KBS teen drama 'Dream High' and has starred in hit TV series including 'Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo' (2016), 'My Mister' (2018), and 'Hotel Del Luna' (2019). She also starred in the 2023 movie 'Dream' with actor Park Seo-joon.
Get to know more about IU in this gallery:
