IU recently shared her candid thoughts on love and marriage in a new interview, stirring both emotional and thoughtful reactions from fans.
On April 16, IU appeared as a guest on the YouTube show “B tv’s Piaakia with Lee Dong-jin”, where she discussed her role in the Netflix drama When Life Gives You Tangerines.
During the discussion, film critic and host Lee Dong-jin remarked that the drama made him reflect on marriage and family. “With the current low birthrate issues, this drama almost feels like a celebration of marriage. After watching it, it even makes you think about wanting to have kids,” he admitted.
IU responded with a smile, offering a balanced perspective: “It’s about fifty-fifty for me. It made me feel that I’d want to get married, but only if it were that kind of love. Otherwise, I wouldn’t want to get married. That feeling was exactly 50/50.”
Her honest take resonated with many viewers, especially when she elaborated on the drama’s male lead, Gwan-sik. Lee Dong-jin noted, “As a male viewer, I found a character like Gwan-sik kind of frustrating. He raises the bar so high that unless you’re doing exceptionally well, you won’t be appreciated.”
IU agreed, praising Gwan-sik’s character, “Right? Gwan-sik feels like a new standard for what makes a great man, and that felt really refreshing. When we think of a ‘cool guy’ in romance stories, it’s often someone rich or flashy. But Gwan-sik is a character whose strength is sincerity, and he’s still incredibly charming. That kind of portrayal felt so new and touching to me.”
She concluded by saying that the drama’s portrayal of a sincere, grounded man was “fresh and heartwarming” and that it made her reflect on the kind of love that would be worth marrying for.
IU is currently in a public relationship with actor Lee Jong-suk, though she did not mention him directly during the interview. Still, fans couldn’t help but draw connections between her romantic ideals and her real-life love story.