“Billboard’s No. 1 Korean Artist” IU Faces Unfounded ‘Pro-North Korea’ Attacks
On December 16, after IU posted a YouTube video from her show “IU’s Palette” on social media, unrelated comments began flooding in. The comments included statements like “Go North,” “Left-wing IU,” and “Be a North Korean singer,” with baseless criticism dominating the conversation. Despite never publicly stating her political orientation, IU is being attacked through labels such as “left-wing” and “pro-North Korea.”
IU began her first world tour this year, achieving a remarkable audience score of over 500,000 people, including stops in Europe and North America. Notably, she became the first female singer to perform at all stadium venues in Seoul during a two-day concert in September.
Her album “Love Wins All” also made waves, topping the Melon Top 100 chart within an hour of release, and later holding the number one spot for four consecutive weeks, as well as achieving the February monthly chart’s top position and a perfect all-kill on iChart 339 times. IU has had an incredibly successful year as a popular artist.
Despite her success, the attacks against IU intensified after reports surfaced that she had pre-paid for meals at a restaurant near Yeouido for fans attending a rally for President Yoon Seok-yeol’s impeachment, so they could stay warm and fed.
Previously, rumors such as “IU is a spy” had been spread. According to her agency, last year, leaflets containing false information such as “IU is a North Korean spy” and “She is linked to the Daejang-dong scandal” were produced, prompting legal action through a law firm and investigation by authorities.
IU’s fans are baffled by how her kind gesture towards her fans could be twisted into accusations of being ‘pro-North Korea’ and are calling for additional legal measures.
