Love, Poem In Manila: 8 Facts About The Nation’s Sweetheart IU
Dec 16, 2019 • Bianca Katipunan
ICYMI, IU was in Manila last Friday to rock the big dome for her <LOVE, POEM> Tour. Tickets sold out almost immediately, so if you weren’t able to sing along to her amazing songs and get enchanted by her beauty, don’t let it get you down. Let’s look back on her evolution from the 15-year-old girl that debuted in 2008 to the mysterious Jang Man-wo in Hotel De Luna. Here are 8 facts about Lee Ji-eun aka IU:
She came from a humble background
Predebut IU pics in better quality, enjoy Uaena’s (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ pic.twitter.com/6UbinYaCoK
— (@iureveloona1) May 1, 2019
At an early age, IU knew that she wanted to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. She began to take acting classes but due to her family’s financial status, they were forced to move from Seoul to Gyeonggi Province. For a year IU and her brother lived in a studio-type apartment with their grandmother and cousins. During this period they experienced great poverty and had limited contact with their parents.
Her trainee days
In middle school, IU found her passion for singing after she sang at her school’s sports competition. This inspired her to audition for Korean entertainment companies. However, she failed 20 auditions and was even scammed by fake companies. Finally, in 2007 she signed a contract with LOEN Entertainment, and after just ten months of training, she released her first album.
Her debut song
On September 18, 2008, IU performed her first single “Lost Child” on the Korean music program M! Countdown, making her debut as a solo singer. Her performance was met with mix reactions as IU recalled the crowd throwing insults at her. At first, she felt discouraged by it, but now considers it a beneficial experience.
Her acts of kindness
As a celebration of Children’s day in Korea, IU donated 100 million won for low-income families via the Green Umbrella Foundation. She also gave scholarships to outstanding students from her former high school. In addition to this multiple Ueanas have shared multiple instances of IU’s kindness.
Famous Roles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPFnx4tODjA
In 2011 IU made her acting debut in Dream High along with miss A’s Suzy, Kim Soo-hyun,T-ara’s Ham Eun-jung, and 2PM’s Taecyeon. This was followed up by multiple acting roles including The Producers, Moon Lovers Scarlet Heart Ryeo, My Mister, and her latest drama Hotel del Luna.
Her Best Friends
kpop_gumiho : #IU #leejieun #jieun #kpop #korean #suzy #baesuzy #suzybae #baesujj #missa #dreamhigh pic.twitter.com/qUWk0WGCA9
— Suzy Bae (@missasuzyisbae) January 9, 2016
IU’s squad is definitely a squad you want to be a part of! She’s close with some of K-Pop’s biggest stars like Brown Eyed Girls Gain, Miss A’s Suzy, T-ara’s Jiyeon, SHINee’s Jonghyun, Sulli, and actress Yoo In Na.
Her ballin’ style
IU can clearly rock any look! Her fashion sense is simply to die for as it’s a mix of cute and edgy style. We mean every girl would do anything to be as stylish as her.
Her Stage Presence
IU is known for her beautiful voice and amazing stage presence, in fact, the <LOVE, POEM> in Manila was four hours long!
Were you able to catch IU at the Araneta Coliseum last Friday?
