The year she turned 15, she debuted by singing “Lost Child” on Mnet’s M Countdown. Five days later, her first EP, Lost and Found, came out. In 2009, she released her first studio album, Growing Up.
The breakthrough yearIn June 2010, a duet with 2AM’s Lim Seul-ong, “Nagging,” reached No. 1 on a music chart. In December 2010, the year she turned 17, “Good Day,” from her third mini album, held the top of the chart for three weeks, and her name became widely known.
In January 2011, she began acting in KBS2’s Dream High, and in November she released the second studio album Last Fantasy and “You & I.” In 2012, she released the single album Spring of a Twenty Year Old.
In 2013, she took her first lead role in KBS2’s You Are the Best!, and released the third studio album Modern Times in the fall. A year later, she released her first remake album, A Flower Bookmark.
In 2015, she released the EP Chat-Shire, which she produced herself. Controversy over the lyrics and sampling of tracks on it led to an apology. In 2016, she appeared in SBS’s Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo. In 2017, she released the fourth studio album Palette.
In January 2018, she won the Golden Disc Awards Daesang in the digital music category, and in March she played Lee Ji-an in tvN’s My Mister. In 2019, she appeared in tvN’s Hotel del Luna and released the EP Love Poem. In January 2020, she moved to EDAM Entertainment, and in May she released “Eight” with Suga.
In 2021, she released the fifth studio album Lilac, her first in four years. In May 2022, Broker was screened at the Cannes Film Festival, and in September she became the first Korean female singer to hold a solo concert at Jamsil Olympic Stadium. In 2023, the film Dream was released.
In 2024, she released the EP The Winning and started her first world tour. In 2025, she won Best Actress at the Blue Dragon Series Awards for Netflix’s When Life Gives You Tangerines. In April 2026, MBC’s Perfect Crown aired, and in July she postponed her second-half concerts and sixth studio album because of an ear condition.
IU (born Lee Ji-eun on May 16, 1993) debuted on Sep 18, 2008, the year she turned 15, with “Lost Child” on Mnet’s M Countdown, and became widely known with “Good Day,” the title track of her third mini album, on Dec 9, 2010, the year she turned 17. In 2022, the year she turned 29, she became the first Korean female singer to hold a solo concert at Jamsil Olympic Stadium.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
Made her first stage appearance the year she turned 15. Her stage name was given by her agency, Loen Entertainment, and refers to “I” and “you” becoming one through music.
Source 01 · Joongboo Ilbo (Korean) · Sept. 18, singer IU’s debut · opens in a new tabSource 35 · Wikipedia · IU · opens in a new tabCame out five days after her debut stage.
Source 03 · Korean Wikipedia · IU · opens in a new tab Date from Wikipedia; not confirmed in news reports.Includes “Boo” and “Marshmallow.”
Source 03 · Korean Wikipedia · IU · opens in a new tabSource 02 · Sports Kyunghyang (Korean) · IU chronicle · opens in a new tab Release date from Wikipedia; not confirmed in news reports. The release year and track list were confirmed in an article.An insert song on MBC’s We Got Married, it reached No. 1 on the Soribada weekly chart.
Source 04 · Asia Economy (Korean) · “Nagging” tops music chart · opens in a new tab The release date was not confirmed, so only the month is given.Reached No. 1 on the music charts right after release and held it for the next three weeks. The three-step high notes near the end of the song drew attention, and her name became widely known.
Acted for the first time, playing Kim Pil-suk.
Source 07 · Nocut News (Korean) · First acting role in Dream High · opens in a new tabSource 08 · Korea Economic Daily (Korean) · Dream High, episode 1 · opens in a new tabThe title track is “You & I,” composed by Lee Min-soo and written by Kim Eana, who also made “Good Day.”
Source 09 · Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · Second studio album Last Fantasy · opens in a new tabThe title track is “Every End of the Day,” and it includes “Peach,” which she made herself.
Source 10 · Seoul Economic Daily (Korean) · Spring of a Twenty Year Old released · opens in a new tabSource 02 · Sports Kyunghyang (Korean) · IU chronicle · opens in a new tab The release date was not confirmed, so only the month is given.Her first lead role, alongside Jo Jung-suk. She played Lee Soon-shin, the title character.
Source 11 · Newsen (Korean) · You Are the Best!, first broadcast · opens in a new tabThe title track is “The Red Shoes.” It came 1 year 5 months after Spring of a Twenty Year Old.
Source 12 · Edaily (Korean) · Third studio album Modern Times · opens in a new tabThe title track is “My Old Story.” Kim Chang-wan took part in “The Meaning of You.”
Source 13 · Korean Wikipedia · A Flower Bookmark · opens in a new tabSource 02 · Sports Kyunghyang (Korean) · IU chronicle · opens in a new tab Release date from Wikipedia; not confirmed in news reports.The first album she produced in full.
Source 03 · Korean Wikipedia · IU · opens in a new tabSource 02 · Sports Kyunghyang (Korean) · IU chronicle · opens in a new tab Release date from Wikipedia; not confirmed in news reports. The account that it was her first self-produced album was confirmed in an article.Responding to criticism that a young character from a novel was treated in a sexual way, she said she took only the motif from the work and had no such intent, but acknowledged the lyrics could make people uncomfortable and apologized. On the unauthorized sample, she said she would consult the original rights holder.
Source 14 · Seoul Shinmun (Korean) · Her statement on “Zezé” and the sampling controversy · opens in a new tabStarred opposite Lee Joon-gi.
Source 15 · Star Today (Korean) · Moon Lovers, first broadcast · opens in a new tabIncludes “Through the Night,” released ahead on Mar. 24. The title tracks are “Palette” and “Dear Name.” It came about 3.5 years after Modern Times.
Source 16 · Kyunghyang Shinmun (Korean) · Fourth studio album Palette · opens in a new tabWon for “Through the Night,” released the year before.
Source 17 · Star News (Korean) · 32nd Golden Disc Awards · opens in a new tabPlayed Lee Ji-an, who makes a living from several part-time jobs. There were concerns after the casting was announced, but a different response followed the first episode. Hirokazu Kore-eda says he cast her in Broker after seeing this drama.
Source 18 · Xportsnews (Korean) · My Mister, first broadcast · opens in a new tabSource 24 · SPOTV NEWS (Korean) · Broker officially screened at Cannes · opens in a new tabPlayed Jang Man-wol, the owner of a hotel that takes in ghosts as guests. The first episode drew a viewership rating of 7.3%.
Source 19 · Segye Ilbo (Korean) · Hotel del Luna, first broadcast · opens in a new tabReleased together with a nationwide tour of the same name.
Source 20 · Sports Donga (Korean) · Mini album Love Poem · opens in a new tabThe company was founded by the manager who had worked with her for 12 years since her debut, and launched with investment from Kakao M. Staff from her previous agency moved with her.
Source 21 · Segye Ilbo (Korean) · Moves to EDAM Entertainment · opens in a new tabBTS’s Suga produced it and was featured.
Source 22 · Newsen (Korean) · “Eight” release confirmed · opens in a new tabThe title track is “Lilac.” It is her first studio album in four years, since Palette.
Source 23 · OSEN (Korean) · Fifth studio album Lilac revealed · opens in a new tabHirokazu Kore-eda’s first Korean film, in which she appeared under her real name, Lee Ji-eun. It opened in Korea on June 8.
Source 24 · SPOTV NEWS (Korean) · Broker officially screened at Cannes · opens in a new tabBecame the first Korean female singer to hold a solo concert at the Olympic Stadium. 85,000 people came over Sept. 17 and 18, and the second day was her 14th debut anniversary.
Source 25 · Harper’s Bazaar Korea (Korean) · Jamsil Olympic Stadium concert · opens in a new tabSource 36 · SPOTV NEWS (Korean) · Jamsil concert ends · opens in a new tab The article announcing the concert gives the dates as Sept. 17 and 19 in one passage and as Sept. 17–18 in another. The two days, the 17th and 18th, follow the article from the day of the concert.A film by director Lee Byeong-heon with Park Seo-joon, in which she played the producer So-min. It is about a team of ragtag players taking on the Homeless World Cup.
Source 26 · Star News (Korean) · The film Dream · opens in a new tabHer sixth mini album.
Source 02 · Sports Kyunghyang (Korean) · IU chronicle · opens in a new tabAfter four Seoul shows on Mar. 2, 3, 9 and 10, she toured Asia, Europe and North America. It was her first tour in about five years, since 2019.
Source 27 · SPOTV NEWS (Korean) · HEREH world tour announced · opens in a new tabPlayed a dual role, the young Oh Ae-sun and her daughter Yang Geum-myeong. Written by Im Sang-choon and directed by Kim Won-seok.
Source 28 · YTN (Korean) · When Life Gives You Tangerines release confirmed · opens in a new tabSource 30 · TenAsia (Korean) · 4th Blue Dragon Series Awards · opens in a new tabA remake album eight years after A Flower Bookmark 2.
Source 29 · Kyunghyang Shinmun (Korean) · A Flower Bookmark 3 released · opens in a new tabWon for her dual role in When Life Gives You Tangerines. She did not win for the same work at the Baeksang Arts Awards in May.
Source 30 · TenAsia (Korean) · 4th Blue Dragon Series Awards · opens in a new tabReleased without notice; she took part in writing the lyrics and composing.
Source 31 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · “Bye, Summer” released · opens in a new tabA Friday–Saturday drama with Byeon Woo-seok, in which she plays Seong Hui-ju, from a chaebol family. It is her first TV drama in seven years since Hotel del Luna.
Source 34 · MBC (Korean) · Perfect Crown program page · opens in a new tabSource 33 · OhmyNews (Korean) · Perfect Crown, first broadcast · opens in a new tabHer agency said that, on medical advice that her ear condition made performing difficult, it was postponing the second-half schedule, including the Goyang concert, and the release of her sixth studio album. She explained that it is not a condition that makes daily life difficult.
Source 32 · Xportsnews (Korean) · Concert and album schedule postponed · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 2008–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
What did they do, and at what age?
AgeTrail lines up the key moments of a life by age.
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Music · South Korea
May 16, 1993 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1993: the year of the event minus 1993, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.09.21 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.