IU and actor Lee Jong Suk have once again caught the public's attention. Their first big "couple" moment of 2026 is going viral on social media, and fans are going crazy over it. The moment, though not very flashy, has brought back interest in the high-profile relationship that first became public in late 2022.

Recently, the singer and actress posted a new picture on her official Instagram account, and fans quickly started to like it. At first glance, the picture looked normal, but online groups quickly started to look at the details more closely. Koreaboo says that it didn't take long for people online to start linking IU's outfit to Lee Jong Suk's other appearance.

More people became interested when a screenshot from a recent vlog with Lee Jong Suk went viral online. According to individuals who attended both events, they noticed two things that were very much the same regarding the outfits worn.

The photos of the two events were particularly excellent examples of what is classified as "casual" attire, with many fans stating that they noticed these factors before bringing them up to each other. People then noticed that IU and Lee Jong Suk were both wearing the same Balenciaga hoodie, which many people saw as a subtle "couple item."

As more and more people talked about it, the matching outfit choice quickly became a hot topic on social media and online forums. Fans said this was the couple's first visible sign of being together in the new year. Koreaboo said that the posts got a lot of attention not because of any official statement, but because fans noticed them together.

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People have known for a long time that IU and Lee Jong Suk keep their relationship mostly to themselves. Since confirming their relationship, the two have rarely appeared together in public.

Only in interviews or through indirect references have we seen them together. Before this most recent moment, fans affectionately called them the "New Year Couple" of 2023. This nickname keeps coming up during big events like this one.

Fans have said they appreciate the quiet but meaningful gesture, even though neither IU nor Lee Jong Suk has said anything about the matching hoodie going viral. Before giving a summary of the reaction, people who commented online said that it's often these small, unspoken details that mean the most to fans.

Koreaboo says that events like this tend to get a lot of attention because the couple keeps their relationship private.

In separate news, Breakup rumors involving IU and Lee Jong Suk recently spread on China's Weibo after netizens claimed IU's index-finger ring symbolized single status, according to ETtoday.

The speculation quickly gained traction, with related keywords ranking high on Weibo's trending search list. However, neither IU nor Lee Jong Suk, nor their respective agencies, has issued any statement confirming a split.

The rumors were not reported as trending issues in South Korea, suggesting the speculation remained largely overseas. Despite the buzz, fans continue to point to past "couple items" sightings as possible signs the pair are still together.

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