IU talked about his little brother a lot, Lee Jong-hoon, even though she never reveals her brother’s face. Lee Jong-hoon admits that he doesn’t want to be known as IU’s brother and kept his identity a secret. IU once said that only a few close friends of Lee Jong-hoon know he is IU’s brother!
You might like: IU Diet Plan: The Secret Behind How IU Lost Her Weight
In this article, Channel Korea will talk all about IU’s family and younger brother, whom the general public and fans alike are curious about. So, keep reading!
All About Lee Jong-hoon Who Doesn’t Want To Be Known As IU’s Brother
IU has a little brother named Lee Jong-hoon who tried to hide his identity as IU’s brother among his friends. That’s because IU is really popular and he doesn’t want to cause trouble for IU. Even so, IU stated that her brother’s real name and his university have been known to the public, which spread in social media. “His seniors in the university have high regard for him since they got evidence that we are siblings. They also said that he looks like IU and the fact that he is a transferee proved as evidence that he is my brother”. The singer added that her brother even went as far as to lie about his father’s name, “Lee Jinguk is my father’s name, but my brother had to lie and said that his father’s name is Lee Guk-jin”. The MCs of the show further asked whether her brother feels uncomfortable that his sister is a famous singer, to which IU replied, “He was embarrassed of me at first. I am his older sister, but I come out on TV and try to act cute, so he was embarrassed and refused to tell people about me.”
You might like: Did IU Have Plastic Surgery? Compare Before and After Photos
Through her social media, IU once talked about a conversation with her brother via Kakao Talk. Most of the time, IU would text him countless times, saying ‘hey’, before he replied to her messages. The netizens think that IU and her younger brother’s conversations were just like any other siblings, short, brief, and straight to the point. During the fan-talk in her fancafe, one of IU’s fans asked about her brother. It turned out that IU’s brother was a fan of the former Girls’ Generation member, Jessica Jung. Despite never telling her about his adoration toward the idol-turned-businesswoman, IU knew that her brother liked Jessica because of his phone wallpaper. Besides talking about Jessica Jung, IU jokingly said that she’d bet all her wealth that her brother remembers Jessica’s birthday and not hers. Even though not much is known about IU’s brother, many netizens agree that he’s as attractive as IU due to their superior genes. Well, do you agree, dear readers?
IU’s Brother Never Reveals His Face
Although IU is really caring towards her family members including her brother, she never reveals her brother’s face. When she posted her family picture on Instagram, she always put a mark on their faces. Even when she invited her brother to her YouTube channel, IU’s little brother wore a mask that said ‘BRO.’ The mask is similar to the sticker that IU puts on her family pictures, right? We as fans can only see IU’s brother, Lee Jong-hoon or often called Hoon, from his child picture. Maybe, IU’s brother finally reveal his face to the public one day. But let’s respect his privacy by not demanding the face reveal of IU’s brother!
Even In The Military, Lee Jong-hoon Hides His Identity As IU’s Brother
Just like Superman, IU’s brother hides his identity as IU’s brother among his friends. IU revealed that his brother only has around 5 close friends who knew that he is IU’s brother. In March 2021, in an episode of ‘You Quiz on The Block’ with Yoo Jae-suk, IU was asked about her little brother and she said that he is in the military right now. If only he told people there that he is IU’s little brother, everyone must be so excited, but IU’s brother wanted to keep it a secret. However, ever since that episode aired, everyone has known about his identity. IU also often talked about her brother including his name, Hoon. The two of them also look alike just like other siblings. So, it probably is not so hard to tell that he is IU’s brother! Because of this, IU’s brother, Hoon, is upset and didn’t receive calls from IU. Their relationship is so relatable, right? Hopefully, everyone can respect Lee Jong-hoon’s privacy as IU’s brother!
Lee Jong-hoon Studied Abroad To Avoid People Recognize Him As IU’s Brother
Lee Jong-hoon really doesn’t want anyone to know his identity as IU’s brother and even went to the States to study instead of in Korean schools. During her appearance on JTBC’s Lee Hyo-ri’s Bed and Breakfast, IU told Lee Hyo-ri’s husband Lee Sang-soon that she was going to the United States of America to go to her younger brother’s graduation. It turned out that Lee Jong-hoon attended San Diego University. IU revealed that her brother felt lots of pressure to study in South Korea because he was afraid he would make unnecessary controversy as IU’s brother, which will taint his sister’s reputation and image as a celebrity. Therefore, he decided to study abroad because fewer people would recognize him and find out about his status as IU’s younger brother.
IU’s Brother’s Social Media Is Unknown to the Public
Unfortunately, we can’t find any social media accounts owned by IU’s brother, as he guards his privacy closely. Unless IU posted or shared information about her family and brother herself, we believe that we should not dig further as it is considered a breach of privacy and an illegal thing to do.
IU’s Story About Her Family: Mother and Father
IU spoke about her family for the first time during her appearance on KBS’ Win Win. The singer shared that she used to live with her grandmother, younger brother, and cousin for a year. Living without her parents at such a young age undoubtedly made IU lonely. However, she often consoled herself that she still had her grandmother. When IU became popular, her family never depended their financial state on her. Reportedly, IU’s mother, Kim Mi-sam, even went to China to work in a wholesale business that sold accessories. IU revealed the reason why her mother was actively working, despite having a successful daughter, “She works because she does not want to lose to me”. In addition, IU’s mother refused to appear unless she earns and has a lot of money, hence her decision to never tell people around her that her daughter is IU. Not only is she a hard-working businesswoman, but IU’s mother is also generous. During IU’s 10th anniversary concert, Dlwrma, in November, 2018, IU’s mother prepared pink cushions for each seat of her daughter’s concert audience. Initially, many fans thought that someone had accidentally put their cushion on the seat. Later they found out that IU’s mother has specially arranged the cushions because she was worried about IU fans’ waists after sitting for too long. In total, 12,000 cushions were prepared. After the concert ended, the fans were able to bring the cushions home. Unlike her mother, who doesn’t want to appear in public, IU’s father, Lee Jin-guk, is not as secretive as his wife. Through her Instagram account, IU shared a selfie with her father during their visit to a strawberry field. The selfie gained a massive response as it was the first time IU revealed her father. Though wearing sunglasses, many netizens agree that IU’s father is as cool as his daughter. That’s all the information about IU’s brother and parents. IU really considered the well-being of her family. She didn’t want to reveal her family’s face, especially her younger brother who always wants to keep it a secret. Hopefully, IU’s family including her brother can live at peace even though they are the family of a popular celebrity. Don’t forget to keep updated on IU and other Korean celebrities news on Channel Korea!
