Li Zhien

Lee Ji Eun (Korean: Ji-eun Lee, Romanized: I Ji Eun, born May 16, 1993), whose stage name is IU (Korean: IU, Romanized: A I Yu), is a South Korean singer-songwriter, idol star and Korean drama actor. IU is one of the best-selling singers of K-pop music that is popular all over the world. Her stage name "IU" is a combination of "I" and "You", which means connecting with fans through music. So far, IU has released 5 studio albums, 6 mini albums, and 3 song cover albums. She has 2 albums and 14 songs that have reached the number one spot on the Gaon Chart. From 2012 to 2016, and from 2018 to 2024, IU has been one of the top 40 Korean celebrities in Forbes magazine's annual power list. "Billboard" recognized IU as a pioneer on the K-Pop Top 100. In Gallup Korea's "Singer and Music Survey Report" in 2014 and 2017, IU ranked first in that year and had the highest number of Perfect all-kills on the Korean music chart. And was voted the number one artist in South Korea by Billboard. In 2025, IU ranked first on the "Korea Forbes Celebrity List"; at the end of the same year, she was once again named Gallup Korea's Best Singer of the Year. In the early days of IU's singing career, she was well known as a solo singer with the characteristics of a youth idol. With the development of her career, IU gradually transformed into a versatile music worker, becoming a singer with well-known names, song sales and awards, as well as a recognized songwriter and music producer. IU is also an actor and has played major roles in the TV series "My Uncle" and "Hotel Del Luna". In 2025, she starred in "Ku Jin Gan Comes to Meet You" and won the Best Actress Award in the TV series category of the Blue Dragon Series Award for this drama.