Singer and actress IU has addressed a misunderstanding regarding matching outfits with her publicly acknowledged boyfriend, actor Lee Jong-suk. While generally minimizing public mentions of Lee Jong-suk despite their acknowledged relationship, IU directly addressed a fan’s misunderstanding to clarify the situation.
Recently, photos of IU and Lee Jong-suk wearing a luxury brand’s hoodie spread online. Although the pictures were taken at different locations, their similar design and color prompted discussions among netizens, who labeled them “couple outfits.”
IU’s photo was shared on January 5th via actor Lee Yeon’s personal account, and Lee Jong-suk was seen on January 8th on the YouTube channel ‘Ryu Hye-young Lemon Acid.’ IU wore the hoodie casually with a bucket hat, while Lee Jong-suk was spotted in it at a team dinner for the drama ‘Seocho-dong.’
Netizens were intrigued, as the outfits were estimated to be from the same luxury brand line and priced around 3.8 million won. Most reactions were positive, such as, “They are getting along well,” but some netizens expressed discomfort and concern about showcasing ‘couple items’ ahead of upcoming projects.
Notably, one fan expressed disappointment about the ‘couple items,’ including clothes and phone cases, via a communication app with IU. The fan even attached a photo of the clothing, to which IU responded, “These are different clothes…?” drawing significant attention.
IU has typically avoided directly mentioning her boyfriend, Lee Jong-suk, in public despite their relationship. Her direct response to correct the ‘couple look’ misunderstanding therefore drew significant attention.
IU and Lee Jong-suk acknowledged their relationship in December 2022 and continue to meet.
IU is set to feature in the MBC drama ’21st Century Grand Lady’ in the first half of the year. Lee Jong-suk will appear in the Disney Plus series ‘The Remarried Empress.’
