The alleged breakup between K-pop star IU and her boyfriend, actor Lee Jong Suk, is currently trending on the Chinese social media site Weibo.
ETtoday reported that after netizens took to Weibo to share what they claimed was evidence of their recent breakup, speculation about the state of the couple, who went public with their relationship in 2022, became a hot topic again.
In some screenshots, IU is spotted wearing a ring on her index finger, which is a sign of single status in Korea.
A Weibo user said, "IU is split up with Lee Jong Suk!?!? This is the reason why netizens found out that IU is wearing a ring on her index finger while in Korea, which means a single person. We got to learn about their relationship in 2022, so a couple of years, huh!?"
Rumors broke out almost immediately, with the topic "IU and Lee Jong Suk seem to have broken up" landing at number seven on Weibo's search list.
However, none of the claims that have emerged from news reports or their respective agencies have ever indicated whether IU and Lee Jong Suk remain together.
While neither official statements nor 'breaking up' related trending topics were tracked in South Korea, the rumor has piqued the curiosity of fans on social media.
Rumors about them are already rife, and the recent sighting of the couple in matching clothes probably adds to the mix.
In Korean culture, couples use at least one common item to declare their love for each other. This unique phenomenon is called "couple items." These can also be keychains, rings, or phone covers.
As per Koreaboo, IU and Lee Jong Suk were recently spotted wearing a luxury Bottega Veneta cassette bag. One of the clues that the two are still dating, according to Dispatch, was this luxurious item, which is worth a price of around 3.00 million KRW (or about 2,060 USD).
The two were seen with the said bags at the airport—Lee Jong Suk was going to Osaka on December 20, and IU was leaving for Nagoya on December 24.
The two were also spotted wearing coordination eyeglasses at the airport, a detail that caught the sharp eyes of the media and fans.
Both celebrities remain tight-lipped about their love lives, and the public is just waiting to see more details.
