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IU, photographed from the shoulders up in a cream top and a fine necklace, at an Estée Lauder launch event on 26 February 2026.IU아이유
티비텐, via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY
Artists

IU

아이유

IU is a singer and actress under EDAM Entertainment. She played Seong Hui-ju in MBC/Disney+'s Perfect Crown (2026) after Netflix's When Life Gives You Tangerines, which won best drama at the 2025 Baeksang Arts Awards.

Position
Singer-songwriter
Agency
EDAM Entertainment
Debut
18 September 2008
Born
16 May 1993
Fandom
UAENA

Who is IU?

IU (아이유) is a singer and actress represented by EDAM Entertainment, which lists her alongside WOODZ on its artist roster. The Hollywood Reporter describes her as one of the biggest stars in Korean entertainment.

On screen she led Netflix’s When Life Gives You Tangerines, which won best drama at the 2025 Baeksang Arts Awards, and in 2026 she played Seong Hui-ju, the ambitious daughter of the conglomerate Castle Group, in MBC and Disney+’s Perfect Crown opposite Byeon Woo-seok. The two had previously appeared together in SBS’s Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016).

At the Perfect Crown press conference on 6 April 2026 she introduced her character as “a woman who has everything but the official title to match”.

Where to start

Her official YouTube channel, 이지금 [IU Official], carries her music videos and official releases. Perfect Crown streams on Disney+ (Hulu in the United States) and When Life Gives You Tangerines on Netflix. K-Culture Radar links to official uploads rather than rehosting clips.

Official links

Timeline

  1. Release

    IU releases the digital single 'Unknown Planet'

    The record carries the title tracks 'Unknown Planet' and 'Dear my crazy soulmate', and the music video for 'Dear my crazy soulmate' arrived the same day.

    Explainer · Read the story
  2. Award

    IU wins the Grand Prize at the 2025 Seoul Con APAN Star Awards

    When Life Gives You Tangerines won six categories, that one among them.

    Feature · Read the story
  3. Award

    IU wins Best Actress at the 4th Blue Dragon Series Awards

    She took the Upbit Popular Star Award at the same ceremony, and When Life Gives You Tangerines took the Grand Prize.

    Feature · Read the story

Music

View all
Mini album

Real

Videos

Official video IU 'Dear my crazy soulmate' MV · 이지금 [IU Official]YouTube ↗
Official video IU '바이, 썸머' Lyric Video · 이지금 [IU Official]YouTube ↗
Official video IU 'Never Ending Story' MV · 이지금 [IU Official]YouTube ↗
Official video IU 'Shopper' MV · 이지금 [IU Official]YouTube ↗
Official video [MV] IU(아이유) _ strawberry moon · 1theK (원더케이)YouTube ↗
Official video [MV] IU(아이유)_LILAC(라일락) · 1theK (원더케이)YouTube ↗

Stories

Explainer

K-popTrend signal: Steady

IU Releases the Digital Single 'Unknown Planet', Writing the Words to Both Title Tracks

IU released the digital single 'Unknown Planet' at 6pm KST on 10 September 2026. It carries two title tracks — 'Unknown Planet' and 'Dear my crazy soulmate' — and she wrote the words to both. Herald Muse reported that 'Unknown Planet' was number one on Melon HOT100 and Genie TOP200 on the day of release.

Feature

K-dramaFeatureTrend signal: Steady

The Awards IU Won for When Life Gives You Tangerines in 2025

At the 4th Blue Dragon Series Awards in Incheon on 18 July 2025, IU won Best Actress for the Netflix series When Life Gives You Tangerines, took the Upbit Popular Star Award, and saw the series take three categories. The 61st Baeksang Arts Awards gave it four on 5 May, and the APAN Star Awards six on 29 December.