Age, Biography, and Wiki
Lee Ji-eun, popularly known by her stage name IU, was born on May 16, 1993, in South Korea. She is a celebrated singer-songwriter and actress who has been active in the South Korean entertainment industry since her debut in 2008. IU's stage name "IU" is derived from "I and You," symbolizing the unity of music and people. She began her career under LOEN Entertainment (now Kakao Entertainment) and has since become a household name in South Korea.
| Occupation | Actress |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 16 May 1993 |
| Age | 32 Years |
| Birth Place | Seoul, South Korea |
| Horoscope | Taurus |
| Country | South Korea |
Height, Weight & Measurements
IU stands at a height of 160 cm (5 ft 3 in). However, her weight and other measurements are not commonly reported.
| Height | 160 cm |
| Weight | |
| Body Measurements | |
| Eye Color | |
| Hair Color |
Dating & Relationship Status
IU's personal life is often under scrutiny, but she has kept her relationship status relatively private. There have been speculations about her relationships, but she has not publicly confirmed any ongoing romances.
At an early age, IU showed interest in pursuing a career in the entertainment industry and began attending acting classes. Following her elementary school years, her family's financial situation deteriorated, and they eventually moved to the nearby Uijeongbu, in Gyeonggi Province. She and her younger brother lived apart from their parents in a studio room with their grandmother and cousin for over one year in conditions of great poverty. IU had little contact with her parents over this period of time, but felt reassured under her grandmother's care.
The following month, IU starred in the film Broker, playing single mother So-young, who initially decides to leave her newborn at a baby box but later changes her mind and tries to retrieve her child. Director Hirokazu Kore-eda choose to cast IU after seeing her moving performance in My Mister (2018), as he felt that she was the only actress who could embody So-young's character. Film critic Ben Rolph praised IU's performance, writing that "it is K-pop singer-turned actor Lee Ji-eun who leads the ensemble down its path of brilliance as she performs her heart out, she is the soul of the film." The performance earned her a nomination for Best New Actress at the 27th Chunsa International Film Festival.
IU released the single "Love Wins All" on January 24, 2024. This would be part of her sixth EP The Winning which was released on February 20. She then toured Asia, North America and Europe with the IU HEREH World Tour. The final concert of the tour, held at Seoul World Cup Stadium in September, marked the first entry by a female musician into the venue and the 100th concert of the singer's career. In December 2024, IU was cast as the main lead of romance drama 21st Century Grand Prince's Wife opposite actor Byeon Woo-seok.
In 2015, IU volunteered and donated to the Green Umbrella Children's Foundation. She has been a regular donor since 2018, helping to support tuition for prospective college students among low-income families, single parents, disabled children, and grandparents raising their grandchildren. She makes regular donations on her birthday, debut anniversary and special occasions to foundations helping not only children, but marginalized groups in society such as unwed mothers, elderly people, cancer patients and the homeless, both under her name and her fandom's. She has been supporting vulnerable social groups in Yangpyeong County since 2020, reaching a total of at the end of 2024.
During COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, she donated 3,000 pieces of medical protective clothing and about 4,600 cooling vests for nurses. In January 2023, she featured in charity song "One Step" to promote disability awareness, and in April 2023 she held a pizza party for students and teachers at Milal School, a special school for the developmentally disabled, offering rice cakes prepared by her mother.
On October 8, 2015, IU and indie rock singer Chang Kiha confirmed that they had been dating for two years. On January 23, 2017, the two revealed that they had recently broken up after four years together. On December 31, 2022, it was reported that IU had been in a relationship with actor Lee Jong-suk for four months. Both of their agencies confirmed the rumours.
| Parents | |
| Husband | |
| Sibling | |
| Children |
Net Worth
As of the latest available data, IU's net worth is estimated to be substantial due to her successful music and acting career, but exact figures are not commonly disclosed. Her earnings come from album sales, concert tours, and acting roles in popular dramas like "Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo" and "Hotel Del Luna".
In 2015, two years after her last acting role, IU starred alongside Kim Soo-hyun, Cha Tae-hyun, and Gong Hyo-jin in The Producers, which was named as one of the most anticipated TV series of the year in South Korea. She played Cindy, a diva-like singer who decides to participate in a variety show to improve her public image. Analysing her character's perceived icy demeanor, IU commented that she could relate to her character's "biting attitude" and how similar her character was to herself. The series and IU's portrayal of Cindy were met with lukewarm reviews at the premier but both the viewership and critical response improved over the course of the series, peaking at 17.7% viewership for the last episode. She performed two songs in character, "Twenty Three" and "Heart", both of which were later included as bonus tracks on her 2015 album, Chat-Shire. While she wrote the lyrics for both songs, she also composed the music for "Heart", which was released as a digital single on May 18. "Heart" topped the charts upon its release and went on to become the tenth best-selling digital single of 2015 in South Korea. "Heart" was among a slew of K-pop songs used by South Korea's Defense Ministry in its propaganda broadcasts to North Korea during the two countries' tense standoff in August 2015, with the aim of advertising the "South Korean youth culture". Through The Producers, IU's popularity in China soared—reportedly receiving offers for several projects from Chinese companies.
IU's seventh Korean extended play, Chat-Shire, was released digitally on October 23, 2015, prior to its physical release on October 27. IU asserted greater creative control on the album, writing the lyrics for all seven tracks (as well as the physical album's two bonus tracks) and composing the music for five tracks either individually or collaboratively. She was also credited as the album's executive producer. The lead single, "Twenty-Three", topped the national music charts upon release with several of the album's tracks also ranking in the top ten. The album reached a peak position of number four on Billboard's World Albums chart. Billboard described the album as a "must-hear" release, containing "some of [IU's] most personal music yet", and named "The Shower" as its stand-out track.
Despite positive critical reviews and success in the music charts, the album became controversial due to the lyrics of "Zezé" and the audio samples used in the bonus track "Twenty Three" (not to be confused with the similarly titled lead single). On November 4, the Korean publisher of the novel My Sweet Orange Tree, from which IU drew inspiration for the song "Zezé", stirred debate in the entertainment industry on freedom of interpretation when it leveled criticisms at IU for her interpretation of the five-year-old protagonist as a "sexual object". Two days later, IU issued a public statement: "I did not mean to turn Zeze into a sexual object... but I realize that my lyrics have offended many, and for this I apologize." On November 10, the publisher released an apology for its failure to acknowledge "diversity of interpretation." For the bonus track "Twenty Three", voice samples from Britney Spears' "Gimme More" were allegedly used without permission. Billboard ranked Chat-Shire the sixth best K-pop album of 2015, explaining that "IU knows how to take the sounds of yesterday and update them to stunning results."
IU is one of the highest-earning celebrities in South Korea, with endorsements attributing to a proportion of her income. Over the course of her career, she has endorsed various products that ranged from electronics to clothing and cosmetics. Her breakthrough in 2010 earned her the first three endorsement deals she had with Crown Confectionery's MyChew candy, Crown Bakery and clothing brand Y'sb. Among her first endorsements that year were also video games. When developer Ntreev Soft had chosen IU to endorse MMORPG Alicia: The Story of My Horse and I, they cited her "simple and innocent" image had complemented with the game's vibe, and featured her in the soundtrack. IU announced the player introductions for the Global StarCraft II League — she later performed at the finals of the league in 2011.
Career Highlights
IU achieved national stardom with her song "Good Day" in 2010, which topped South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart for five consecutive weeks. Her versatility as both a singer and actress has earned her numerous awards and recognition in South Korea and internationally. In 2019, "Good Day" was ranked number one on Billboard's "100 Greatest K-Pop Songs of the 2010s". Currently, IU is managed by EDAM Entertainment.
Aside from her music career, IU has ventured into acting and hosting radio and television shows, starting with a supporting role in the hit teen series Dream High (2011). IU's roles in My Mister (2018) and When Life Gives You Tangerines (2025) received critical acclaim, and she earned her first Best Actress in Television nomination at the 55th Baeksang Arts Awards for the former.
IU has released a total of five studio albums and nine EPs, five of which have reached number one on the Gaon Album Chart, and thirty-one number-one singles, making her the artist with the most number-one songs in South Korea. One of the best-selling solo acts in the group-dominated K-pop industry, IU became the first solo female K-pop act to perform at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena during the Seoul leg of her 2018 dlwlrma concert tour for her 10th anniversary and also the first Korean female artist to hold a solo concert, The Golden Hour, at Seoul Olympic Stadium in Seoul on September 17 and 18, 2022.
* In 2014, Billboard recognized IU as the all-time leader of its K-pop Hot 100 with the most number-one songs and the artist with the most weeks at the number-one position on the chart. She was named Gallup Korea's Singer of the Year in 2014 and in 2017. In 2024, media outlets such as NME and Billboard referred to IU as the "Queen of K-pop," highlighting her widespread influence and consistent success in the industry. In 2025, Forbes Korea referred to IU as the "Queen of K-pop and K-drama," noting her influence and success in both the music and acting industries.
* In 2014, Billboard recognized IU as the all-time leader of its K-pop Hot 100 with the most number-one songs and the artist with the most weeks at the number-one position on the chart. She was named Gallup Korea's Singer of the Year in 2014 and in 2017. In 2024, media outlets such as NME and Billboard referred to IU as the "Queen of K-pop," highlighting her widespread influence and consistent success in the industry. In 2025, Forbes Korea referred to IU as the "Queen of K-pop and K-drama," noting her influence and success in both the music and acting industries.
* In 2014, Billboard recognized IU as the all-time leader of its K-pop Hot 100 with the most number-one songs and the artist with the most weeks at the number-one position on the chart. She was named Gallup Korea's Singer of the Year in 2014 and in 2017. In 2024, media outlets such as NME and Billboard referred to IU as the "Queen of K-pop," highlighting her widespread influence and consistent success in the industry. In 2025, Forbes Korea referred to IU as the "Queen of K-pop and K-drama," noting her influence and success in both the music and acting industries.
* In 2014, Billboard recognized IU as the all-time leader of its K-pop Hot 100 with the most number-one songs and the artist with the most weeks at the number-one position on the chart. She was named Gallup Korea's Singer of the Year in 2014 and in 2017. In 2024, media outlets such as NME and Billboard referred to IU as the "Queen of K-pop," highlighting her widespread influence and consistent success in the industry. In 2025, Forbes Korea referred to IU as the "Queen of K-pop and K-drama," noting her influence and success in both the music and acting industries.
* In 2014, Billboard recognized IU as the all-time leader of its K-pop Hot 100 with the most number-one songs and the artist with the most weeks at the number-one position on the chart. She was named Gallup Korea's Singer of the Year in 2014 and in 2017. In 2024, media outlets such as NME and Billboard referred to IU as the "Queen of K-pop," highlighting her widespread influence and consistent success in the industry. In 2025, Forbes Korea referred to IU as the "Queen of K-pop and K-drama," noting her influence and success in both the music and acting industries.
After training for ten months, IU made her debut in 2008 under her stage name, conceived by LOEN to mean "I and You become one through music." She performed her debut single, "Lost Child", live for the first time on the music program M Countdown on September 18, 2008, making it her debut performance as a professional singer. IU recalled the crowd had hurled insults at her during the performance and initially felt discouraged by it, although she now considers it a beneficial experience. "Lost Child" is the lead single from her debut extended play (EP) Lost and Found, which was released on September 24, 2008. For the album, IU was awarded the "Rookie of the Month" by South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in November that same year. However, the album did not do well commercially. During an interview in 2011, IU said, "My first album failed, but I'm grateful for that. If I had become successful as soon as I made my debut, I wouldn't appreciate my staff members and the popularity that I'm enjoying now." On April 23, 2009, IU launched her first studio album, Growing Up, with the lead promotional single, "Boo". She began her album promotion the next day, performing "Boo" on KBS2's Music Bank. The song was noted for its stark contrast in musical style to "Lost Child", which was described as a "heavy" and "dark" ballad compared to the 1980s "retro sound" of "Boo". Deemed as a "strategic" transformation, the dance choreography, stage costume and hairstyle shown in live performances were used to emphasize her youthfulness and project a "cute" image. Although it drew a favorable response from the public, IU, who was fifteen years old at the time, admitted that the image made her feel awkward. Several songs from Lost and Found were featured on her debut studio album Growing Up, including "You Know" ; a new rock-style arrangement of the song was released as the follow-up single to "Boo". Towards the end of 2009, IU released her second EP, IU...IM. She began promoting its lead single, "Marshmallow", on music programs from November 13, 2009. Recalling the performances, IU stated on a 2013 episode of Happy Together that she disliked having to wear the girlish costumes and hairstyle fashioned for the song promotions. The performances were well-received and were once again labelled "cute", reminiscent of reviews for "Boo".
On June 3, 2010, IU released "Nagging", a duet with 2AM's Lim Seul-ong. The single debuted at twelve on the Gaon Digital Chart and shot up to the number-one position the following week, where it remained for three weeks. Gaon Digital Chart references for "Nagging":
To maintain public visibility, IU joined the cast of the variety show Heroes, which aired from July 18, 2010, to May 1, 2011. Shortly after, IU was cast in teen drama Dream High. Filming ran from December 2010 to February 2011, during which time she remained committed to Heroes and her existing promotions for "Good Day". In her first acting role, IU played Kim Pil-sook, a shy and overweight school girl who dreams of becoming a professional singer. Admitting that she was doubtful about her readiness to take on acting, IU remarked that she gained confidence in learning that the part would require singing and would later describe the experience as a tremendously enjoyable one. For the series' soundtrack, she released the single, "Someday", which achieved number-one position on the Gaon Digital Chart on the week of January 30 – February 5, 2011. By the end of 2011, the single had sold 2,209,924 digital copies and is one of IU's best-selling singles for a soundtrack.
IU took on various side-projects after the end of Dream High. On March 10, 2011, IU performed as the opening act for British singer-songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae's first solo concert in Seoul with two songs, before joining Bailey Rae during her performance of "Put Your Records On". In the same month, IU was appointed as one of the new hosts of the music program, Inkigayo, a position which she held until July 2013. In May 2011, IU recorded her first self-composed song, "Hold My Hand", for the romantic-comedy television series, The Greatest Love. The song peaked at number two on the Gaon Digital Chart and sold 2,031,787 digital copies in 2011. Between May and July 2011, IU took part in the reality ice-skating competition series, Kim Yuna's Kiss & Cry, as a celebrity contestant until she was eliminated in the eighth episode. During this time, she also participated in Immortal Songs: Singing the Legend but eventually withdrew after recording one episode due to her overwhelming schedule. IU's second studio album, Last Fantasy, was released on November 29, 2011. The Korea JoongAng Daily described the album as one that would "suit all kinds of musical tastes and fans", while Billboard noted the "cinematic feel" of the album as set by the opening track, "Secret". Produced by Jo Yeong-cheol, whom IU worked with on Real, the album contains collaborative works with singer-songwriters such as Yoon Sang, Lee Juck and Ra.D. The total number of download sales made from the album's tracks exceeded 10 million within the first two weeks. Eight out of the album's thirteen songs debuted in the top ten on the Gaon Digital Chart, while the album debuted at number one on the Gaon Album Chart. The main single, "You & I", became IU's most commercially successful single with almost 5.5 million digital copies sold by the end of 2012. It topped the Gaon Chart as well as the newly established Billboard K-pop Hot 100 chart at the time of release.
IU returned to Japan on September 17, 2012, to perform one show, titled IU Friendship Special Concert — Autumn 2012, at the Tokyo International Forum to a crowd of over 5,000 people. With Sunny Hill as a guest act, IU performed a mixture of her own songs and covers of Korean and Japanese songs such as "Juliette" by Shinee, "Friend" by Anzen Chitai and "Aishiteru" from the Natsume's Book of Friends anime series. Live recordings of "Friend" and "Aishiteru" from the event were later released as promotional digital singles. Nearing the end of her Real Fantasy tour and promotions in Japan, IU resumed her hosting duties on Inkigayo after taking a three-month leave due to concert commitments. She also became the host of MBC's short-lived television quiz show, Quiz Show Q, alongside Park Myeong-su and Sun Bom Soo. On December 29, IU hosted the 2012 SBS Gayo Daejeon alongside Bae Suzy and actor Jung Gyu-woon. She was selected by the program's producer for her MC skills that she demonstrated on Inkigayo.
Almost two years after Last Fantasy, IU released her third studio album, Modern Times, on October 8, 2013. It was described to be "a big shift from the young singer's K-pop roots" that showcased a "more mature and sophisticated sound and image" than her previous work. IU composed and wrote two out of the album's 13 tracks, which ranged from swing to jazz, bossa nova, Latin pop and folk genres. The diversity of jazz styles and the mix of collaborative tracks were highlighted in reviews by Billboard and The Korea Herald. Modern Times debuted at number one on the Gaon Album Chart, while seven of its tracks achieved top ten positions on the Gaon Digital Chart with the lead single, "The Red Shoes", placing in the number one position. Similarly, the album debuted number four on Billboard's World Albums Chart, with twelve tracks in the K-pop Hot 100 chart. The album was ranked number two on Billboard 's "25 Greatest K-Pop Albums of the 2010s" list.
On the second week of her promotional activities for Modern Times, IU decided to join the romantic-comedy series Bel Ami. She played the "quirky" and "playful" role of Kim Bo-tong, a carefree girl in her twenties who has had an unrequited crush on the male protagonist since high school. For her performance, IU was nominated in the Outstanding Korean Actress category at the 2014 Seoul International Drama Awards. In support of Modern Times, IU held her second concert tour with three shows which took place on November 23–24, 2013, at Kyung Hee University's Peace Hall in Seoul and ended on December 1, 2013, at KBS Hall in Busan. Promotions for Modern Times progressed into 2014 with IU performing in Hong Kong for the first time in a solo concert. A repackaged version of Modern Times, titled Modern Times — Epilogue, was released on December 20, 2013, with two additional tracks: "Friday" and "Pastel Crayon". Her self-composed track, "Friday", was originally intended to be included in Modern Times but was later released as the lead single of Modern Times — Epilogue. Described as a "mid-tempo, bossa nova number", "Friday" held the number one position on the Billboard Korea K-pop Hot 100 chart for two weeks after release. The lead single was successful on the Gaon Digital Chart, peaking at number one, and became the tenth best-selling digital single of 2014.
In March 2018, IU starred in tvN's My Mister, playing the character Lee Ji-an. The series was commercially and critically successful with peak audience ratings of 7.3% making it one of the highest rated Korean dramas in cable television history, and positive reviews for IU's performance. IU then contributed her vocals to Zico's "Soulmate", which was released on July 23, 2018. Upon release, the single topped the daily and real time charts of all 6 major Korean music sites and claimed the number-one position on the Gaon Digital Chart. To commemorate her tenth debut anniversary, IU released a single titled "Bbibbi" on October 10, 2018. The song surpassed one million unique listeners on Korea's largest music site, Melon, only 16 hours after its release, and by 23 hours in, it broke the previous 24-hour unique listener record set by her duet "Leon" with Park Myung-su in 2015. "Bbibbi" went on to record a total of 1,462,625 unique listeners in the first 24 hours of its release. The single peaked at number one on the Gaon Digital Chart, and at number five on the Billboard 's World Digital Songs Chart. Billboard magazine listed "Bbibbi" at number 87 on its list of "Best Songs of 2018", explaining "The single not only comments on IU's experiences in the public life, but it doubles as a universal empowerment anthem, knowing and acknowledging one's worth and personal rights." The single was also listed at number 4 on Billboard 's list of "The 20 Best K-pop Songs of 2018". IU began her first Asian tour, titled IU 10th Anniversary Tour Concert, on October 28, 2018. Two months later, IU featured on Kim Dong-ryul's "Fairytale", which peaked at number four on the Gaon Digital Chart.
IU has been credited for writing over seventy-six songs over the course of her career, including music for her career as a solo artist, songs for other performers and various songs for film or drama. The first two songs for which she received songwriting credit were Yoo Seung-ho's "Believe in Love", which she featured on, for the compilation album Road for Hope, and "Alone in the Room" from her third extended play (EP) Real. Her first self-composition was "Hold My Hand" for The Greatest Love in 2011. Considering the fact that she wrote the song not for herself but at the behest of the drama's producers, IU found the experience difficult as she had to match the drama's cheerful tone. On her second studio album Last Fantasy, IU began to take more creative control over her music, writing six of the thirteen total tracks. Her following studio album Modern Times and its re-release Modern Times – Epilogue was also mostly written by IU and South Korean lyricist Kim Eana, who had previously written multiple tracks on Last Fantasy. IU wrote the lyrics to each track on her subsequent releases, Chat-Shire and Palette, with the exception of one song on the latter, and served as executive producer of both. The lyrics on her fifth EP Love Poem were entirely self-written, and she received composition credits on two tracks, "The Visitor" and "Blueming". IU wrote lyrics to all the tracks on her fifth studio album, Lilac. Additionally, she helped compose two of the album's singles, "Coin" and "Celebrity". IU has also written and performed multiple songs for various South Korean films and dramas, including The Producers, My Mister, Bel Ami and Hotel Del Luna. Sixteen of the tracks written by IU have been released as singles, with eleven of those reaching the top of the Gaon Digital Chart, including "Through the Night" and "Friday", the third and fifth best-selling singles in South Korea, with more than six million and five million sales, respectively.
IU has received ten Daesang (grand prize) awards from various award shows, including five from the Melon Music Awards and three from the Golden Disc Awards. In 2012, she was named to the Forbes Korea Power Celebrity list as one of the most influential people in South Korea, and has since been mentioned five times. Additionally, IU was honored at the 2015 Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards, held by the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, for her influence and success in the music industry. In 2022, she was recipient of the Visionary Award, instituted by CJ ENM, which recognizes talents from the Korean film and television industry for their contributions to "leading trends and spearheading innovations."
Social Network
IU is active on several social media platforms:
- Instagram: She uses the handle @dlwlrma.
- Twitter: Fans can follow her official account.
- YouTube: Her channel is accessible under the name dlwlrma.
Her burgeoning career led to her decreased attendance at school and declining grades, with the exception of Korean literature. After graduating from Dongduk Girls' High School in 2012, IU decided not to pursue post-secondary education in tandem with her singing career.
IU released her sixth Korean extended-play and first cover album, A Flower Bookmark, on May 16, 2014. The album contains seven renditions of tracks that hailed from the 1980s and 1990s with a mixture of genres that included ballad, dance, folk and rock. The album came about at the request of fans and due to the positive feedback she had previously received for her cover songs. Three tracks debuted in the top ten of the Gaon Digital Chart on the week of release, with the main single, "My Old Story", ultimately peaking at number 2. However, it was her collaboration with Kim Chang-wan on the remake of his 1984 song, "The Meaning of You", that became the best-selling track from the album and also her best-selling single of 2014. It was also well received critically.
IU released her second cover album, A Flower Bookmark 2 on September 22, 2017. Prior to the album's release, a single titled "Autumn Morning" was released without prior notice on September 18 to mark the singer's ninth anniversary. She later went on a tour in various cities around Korea as well as Hong Kong from November to December 2017 to promote the album. IU was also featured in the title song, "Love Story", of Epik High's ninth album, We've Done Something Wonderful, which was released on October 23, 2017. Gallup Korea ranked her the most popular K-pop artist of 2017 (she previously topped the ranking in 2014) and also the most popular K-pop idol of the year.
IU possesses a soprano vocal range, with acoustician and professor Myung-jin Bae expressing her range also has mezzo-soprano qualities when writing an article comparing her voice to Hyun Bin. Her vocal ability is often met with positive reception. Monique Danao of South China Morning Post noted that IU could quickly transition from a "sweet" voice to "hit powerful notes". On his 2011 academic paper co-written by Doo-heon Kyon at Soongsil University, Bae used "Good Day" as the basis for his vocal analysis, stating that when IU reached the highest note (F♯5) in the three-note increment, her stability in frequency showed a lengthy duration with abundant lung capacity, and commenting that she "expresses well beyond the highest range required by the soprano [voice type]".
In December 2024, IU provided prepaid meals and snacks to people participating in protests, calling for the impeachment of South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol, following his declaration of martial law. Yoon supporters have subsequently left malicious comment on her social media accounts, accusing her of being a "leftist" and calling for boycotts of her endorsed products.
Education
While detailed information about IU's formal education is not widely available, her focus and early entrance into the entertainment industry often overshadowed traditional schooling. She has been known to attend singing and acting lessons to hone her skills before her debut.
During her middle school years, IU found her passion for singing and decided to become a singer after being applauded for a performance she gave at her school's sports competition. She attended 20 auditions but failed to succeed in any of them, and was also scammed by fake entertainment companies. She later trained at Good Entertainment with Uee, Yubin, Heo Ga-yoon, and Jun Hyo-seong. After signing with LOEN Entertainment in 2007, she moved to Bangbae, Seoul. Due to her poor living conditions at the time, IU stated that she "loved being at the studio", where she could eat as much as she wanted and had a place to sleep.
IU's wish to conduct a more intimate and smaller scale concert was fulfilled in her third solo Korean concert series, "Just One Step... That Much More". The concert series took place over eight nights from May 22 to June 1 at Sogang University's Mary Hall, which had a capacity of 450 people. Tickets to all eight shows were sold out within 10 minutes of release on May 7, 2014. Profits made from the concerts were donated to the victims of the Sewol Ferry Disaster.
After the completion of The Producers, IU participated in the biennial music festival event hosted by the variety show, Infinite Challenge, in which each participating singer-songwriter is partnered with one of the six hosts to create a song for the festival. The preparation process and festival event were aired over the course of seven episodes. She was partnered with Park Myeong-su, with whom she recorded and performed the song, "Leon" (as inspired by the film Léon: The Professional). The live performance event on August 13, 2015, attracted an estimated crowd of 40,000 at Alpensia Ski Jumping Stadium. Subsequent to the final episode's broadcast, "Leon" was released along with the other songs from the festival as a digital track and on the official festival album. "Leon" reached number one on all of South Korea's music charts upon release.
In 2010, two years after her debut, IU donated all the proceeds from her duet song with actor Yoo Seung-ho, while in 2011, she donated the proceeds from her fan meeting. In 2012, she was chosen as an ambassador for South Korea's National Police Agency in their anti-bullying campaigns in schools; she was made an honorary member of the police force in 2013 before being promoted to an honorary senior police officer in 2014 for a two-year term. In 2016, IU established a scholarship at her high school alma-mater after regularly donating there for several years.
