Lee Jong-suk says girlfriend IU is a ‘comforting presence’ in his life
(From left) Lee Jong-suk, IU. Images: Instagram/@jongsuk0206, Instagram/@dlwlrma
A month after confirming his relationship with singer-actress IU, Lee Jong-suk revealed that her “comforting presence” inspires him to become a better person.
The K-drama heartthrob briefly opened up about their romance in an exclusive interview with Esquire Korea on Wednesday, Feb. 22, where he was asked if IU is the type of partner who comforts him during tough moments in his life.
“It might sound cliché if I say that her existence itself gives me [something] to rely on and strength. But so many other people besides me are comforted by her music, her lyrics, and her comforting words. It’s the same for me, too,” he said.
Jong-suk then shared that engaging in conversations with the “Lilac” singer is enough to raise his spirits, where he noted that they’ve been friends since their twenties.
“The only difference is that I receive that kind of comfort while having a conversation [with IU]. But above all, we’ve been friends for quite some time, and I find her to be the funniest friend in the whole world. As I mentioned before, when entering my 30s, I was comforted a lot by that person who was my friend,” he said. “We’ve been friends since I was in my mid-20s, so we met when we were quite young.”
The “W” star also can’t help but gush about his relationship with IU, saying that he wants to “become a much better human being” because of her.
“So, when that friend (or IU) tells me, ‘I’ve become a lot more mature now,’ I feel like I want to become more of an adult. And I think I want to become a much better human being than I am now,” he said.
Jong-suk and IU’s respective agencies confirmed in December last year that they’ve been in a relationship “for months,” after they were spotted by Korean media outlet Dispatch in Japan.
The couple, who met on the set of Korean music show “Inkigayo” in August 2012, then expressed their gratitude to fans who remain supportive of their relationship on New Year’s Day in 2023. EDV
