IU Reflects on Her Journey: Embracing Change and Consistency in Her 17-Year Career

IU shares her candid thoughts on 'Baek Eun-ha's Exchange' on YouTube.

On the 18th, IU appeared on the YouTube show 'Baek Eun-ha's Exchange.'

During the show, IU, who is marking her 17th year since debut, expressed disbelief at approaching her 20th year in the industry. She stated, "Consistency is my motto. I don't strictly separate singing, acting, or variety shows. As someone who expresses herself, my biggest goal is to continue working and meeting people without becoming lazy."

IU, who previously differentiated her name as IU for music and Lee Ji-eun for acting, has recently unified her stage name to IU. She revealed, "I wanted to use IU for acting from the start," but was advised that using her real name might help audiences take her more seriously.

She shared, "When I was cast in 'Moon Lovers,' I was persuaded that having a historical drama character named IU might sound too much like an English name."

However, seeing her name listed as Lee Ji-eun (IU) in articles and credits made her question the significance of separating her identities. "For everyone's convenience, I've unified it to IU. After all, I'm just one person," she said with a smile.

Describing her current phase as 'autumn,' IU said, "It's just vaguely autumn. I loved the vibrant and beautiful summer, but I wouldn't want to live it again. Now, I'm excited and anxious about the upcoming winter."

IU mentioned that fans have noticed she seems more relaxed lately. "I seem to be less defensive than before. What's the point of living like that forever? Now that I've spent more time as IU, I wonder who I'm being cautious for in front of the camera," she explained.

Reflecting on her past, IU admitted, "I used to push myself hard to hide my vulnerability and pretended to be tough. I even self-hypnotized myself to be indifferent. Now, I think it's just part of growing older." She added, "If you can't recognize your vulnerability, you can't recognize your strength either. I believe that because I'm a vulnerable person, I can be strong at certain moments."

Reported by Kim Eun-jung, TenAsia. Contact: eun@tenasia.co.kr