IU, 1993
Actors · May 16, 1993
IU
★ HOW OLD IS IU?
IU is 33 years old, born May 16, 1993 in South Korea · Taurus.
#19248of 23,731 Actors on HotBirthdays
★ LEDE
About
IU (Lee Ji-eun) turned K-pop chart dominance into cross-media stardom—31 number-one singles, critical acting roles, and a 2023 Rolling Stone ranking as the 135th greatest singer of all time. Born May 16, 1993, in South Korea, she debuted at fifteen with Lost and Found (2008) and broke nationally with "Good Day" (2010), which spent five consecutive weeks at the top of the Gaon Digital Chart. Her 2011 albums Real+ and Last Fantasy cemented her "little sister" image while she expanded into acting with Dream High and later My Mister (2018). Taurus energy: grounded yet commanding.
★ FEATURE
Biography
IU (Lee Ji-eun) is the South Korean singer-songwriter, actress, and producer whose 31 number-one singles make her the artist with the most chart-toppers in her country—a record that outlasts genre peers in the group-dominated K-pop industry. Born May 16, 1993, she signed with LOEN Entertainment (now Kakao Entertainment) as a trainee in 2007 and debuted at fifteen with the EP Lost and Found (2008). Her 2010 single "Good Day," the lead track from her EP Real, spent five consecutive weeks at number one on South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart and was later ranked the number-one K-pop song of the 2010s by Billboard. The 2011 albums Real+ and Last Fantasy solidified her mainstream presence; her 2020 single "Eight," produced by Suga, became her first to top Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart. Beyond music, IU has built a parallel acting career, earning a Best Actress in Television nomination at the 55th Baeksang Arts Awards for My Mister (2018) and appearing in When Life Gives You Tangerines (2025). She became the first solo female K-pop act to perform at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena (2018) and the first Korean female artist to headline Seoul Olympic Stadium (September 17–18, 2022). In 2024, media outlets including NME and Billboard called her the "Queen of K-pop"; Forbes Korea extended that title to "Queen of K-pop and K-drama" in 2025. Rolling Stone ranked her the 135th greatest singer of all time in 2023, and she has appeared in Forbes Korea's Power Celebrity top ten six times since 2012, reaching number one in 2025. As a Taurus born under life-path 7, her evolution reflects deliberate reinvention—she exerts creative control as lyricist and producer, consistently deviating from mainstream K-pop styles.
★ ORIGIN
Before Fame
IU signed with LOEN Entertainment as a trainee in 2007 at an unspecified age and debuted as a singer at fifteen in 2008 with the EP Lost and Found. Her early albums brought mainstream attention, but she remained a mid-tier chart presence until her breakthrough single "Good Day" in 2010, which catapulted her to national stardom and reshaped her trajectory.
★ SIDEBAR
Trivia
- "Good Day" (2010) was ranked number one on Billboard's "100 Greatest K-pop Songs of the 2010s" list in 2019.
- IU holds the all-time record for the most number-one songs on Billboard's K-pop Hot 100 chart as of 2014.
- She was named Gallup Korea's Singer of the Year in 2014, 2017, and 2025.
- Her 2018 dlwlrma concert tour marked her 10th anniversary and made her the first solo female K-pop act to perform at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena.
★ SIDEBAR
Numerology
LIFE-PATH NUMBER
The Seeker
Analytical and private. IU release rarely but deeply, and tend to reward fans with unusual artistic depth rather than constant output.
★ ALL LIFE-PATH 7 CELEBS →★ ASTROLOGY
Birthday compatibility
By Chinese zodiac — san-he trine for best matches, opposing pair for the most friction-prone.
HIGHLY COMPATIBLE
- Tian XiweiOx · 1997
- PinkPantheressSnake · 2001
- Janhvi KapoorOx · 1997
- Taylor SwiftSnake · 1989
- Khvicha KvaratskheliaSnake · 2001
CHALLENGING
- Isa BrionesRabbit · 1999
- Rocky
★ FAQ
Frequently asked
- How old is IU?
- IU is 33 years old (born May 16, 1993).
- When is IU's birthday?
- IU was born on May 16, 1993.
- What is IU's zodiac sign?
- IU is a Taurus, born May 16, 1993.
- What is IU's Chinese zodiac sign?
- IU was born in 1993, the year of the Water Rooster.
- Where is IU from?
- IU is from South Korea.
- What does IU do?
- IU is a actor.
- Is IU still alive?
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