New Delhi: Soon after their agencies confirmed that singer IU and actor Lee Jong-suk were in a relationship, the couple wrote individual letters thanking their fans for support and wishing them a Happy New Year.
On December 31, Korean online outlet Dispatch reported that Lee Ji-eun, better known by her stage name IU, and the "Big Mouth" star have been dating for about four months.
Later in the day, Jong Suk's agency High Zium Studio and IU's agency EDAM Entertainment officially confirmed the report about their relationship.
In her fan cafe post addressed to her fan club UAENA, IU wrote that she wanted to relay new year's greetings along with "my gratitude and apologetic feelings".
"Those who saw the articles today must know, but I am currently dating. I think our UAENA who are always worried about me and curious about how I am doing must have been really surprised, so I feel very cautious about this but, yeah.. that happened!" the "Broker" star wrote as quoted by Korean entertainment website Soompi.
Describing Jong-suk as a long-time colleague, IU said they are "building up positive feelings" while relying on each other.
"He is a reliable and cute person who has supported me for a long time, always told me I'm amazing, and sent me sincere encouragement," the 29-year-old wrote.
"Since you have all found out now, we will date quietly and beautifully to not worry my fans…!" she added.
Calling IU as "that friend from the articles", Jong-suk wrote he met the singer when he was in his mid-20s and his feelings for her were real even back then.
"... and it was big beyond puppy love, but I had regrets as it couldn't be achieved. We were friends for a long time, and now it turned out like this... How should I say this.. Even when I was working hard living my own way, she was a strange existence who always took up a corner of my heart," he said in his post.
The 33-year-old actor compared his partner to Kang Dan-i, the character played by Lee Na-young in the popular K-drama "Romance Is a Bonus Book". In the 2019 show, Jong-suk's character Cha Eun-ho has loved Dan-i for a long time and the two friends gradually go on to become lovers over the course of time.
"I think my fans will understand if I say that she was like Kang Dan-i to me.
"She is an amazing person who helps me with my path and concerns of life as a friend, is someone I can rely on, is younger but sometimes feels older, and is like a grown adult but also someone I want to protect. Now she makes me want to be a better person. I hope you will watch us with warmth," he added.
Jong-suk also thanked fans for cheering him at the 2022 MBC Drama Awards, which took place on December 30.
At the ceremony, the actor, who won the Daesang (Grand Prize) for his hit comeback drama "Big Mouth", had also thanked an unnamed individual he had "liked a lot for a very long time".