With participating in major film projects, releasing albums, organizing large-scale tours and a love affair admired by many people, 2026 should have been a brilliant year in IU's career and life.
But just after the first half of 2026, one of the leading Korean stars like IU has to face a series of consecutive days of controversy, attacks, public apologies and even broken love affairs.
The latest incident happened on July 10, when IU and actor Lee Jong Suk officially confirmed that they had ended their relationship after 4 years of public dating.
The management company of both said that the two artists have decided to break up but will continue to maintain a good relationship as colleagues. The two sides did not disclose the exact reason or time of the breakup.
Many fans regretted the beautiful love affair of the star couple. On the other hand, the audience also looked back at a turbulent year that IU had gone through before the breakup news was announced.
In early 2026, IU co-starred with Byeon Woo Seok in the drama "Perfect crown" - one of the largest film projects invested in MBC history.
Right from the moment the cast was announced, the film attracted great attention and maintained an impressive viewership rating throughout its broadcast.
However, in the final episodes, the work that should have been a successful ending is overshadowed by accusations of distorting history.
Audiences questioned some details in the film, including the scene of mandarins shouting "Thien tue" at the coronation ceremony - a way of addressing vassal countries; the crown worn by Byeon Woo Seok's character was also criticized for not being consistent with historical documents.
IU herself is in trouble because a film scene with her appearance is said to use Chinese tea ceremony. Not to mention other controversies about the film's content.
As the wave of criticism increased, the film producer had to apologize, admitting historical errors.
As the female lead, IU also directly apologized. She admitted that participating in acting without thinking thoroughly is undeniable. IU apologized to the audience for not showing a sense of responsibility and disappointing everyone.
Not only that, a few weeks after the wave of calls to "boycott" the film, IU was again caught up in a controversy related to protests in South Korea.
The first 6 months of 2026 can be considered a period full of upheavals in both IU's private life and career.
