In December 2023, photos of staff members receiving gifts from IU circulated in online communities, creating a stir.
The photos show AirPods Max, New Balance shoes, bookmarks and more. Notably, the AirPods Max are an expensive product, costing 760,000 won each, making it a noteworthy gift.
The staff expressed their gratitude with various captions such as “Santa Claus. Shock. It is true?“, “Hi, I’m a Uaena (IU fanclub)“…
The letter and bookmark read: “We’ve spent all four seasons together and our bond seems destined. Thank you. Merry Christmas.“
At the end of the letter, IU expressed her affection by writing both her real name and her character’s name in the drama, “Ae-soon.”
IU gave generous gifts to the theater staff, likely numbering at least 100 people. Netizens reacted with comments like “IU’s heart is so beautiful“, “Even if you weren’t a fan, you would become one after working with her“,”Such a kind queen“…
On August 5, 2024, an online community post went viral, revealing that singer IU had purchased business-class airline tickets for her entire crew returning to Korea after attending her concert in the United States.
The post also included several images from the tour members’ Instagram accounts, with messages expressing their gratitude to IU. One member said IU bought tickets for the entire staff because they saw how hard they worked for the show. It is known that IU’s touring troupe consisted of over 100 people, including 30 backup dancers, in addition to the band, management staff, production team, security team and others.
During this tour, IU also gave her staff tickets to visit Universal Studios Hollywood in Los Angeles. Furthermore, it was reported that during her concert in Japan, the singer arranged a luxury food truck for the staff.
In response, netizens left positive comments, praising IU for always treating those around her well and generously sharing what she has. Some even jokingly asked how to apply to work under her.
In 2011, a staff member shared that IU gave the entire staff rice cakes at the Sangam concert, with different stickers and types of cakes every day.
In the comments section, a part-time staff member also shared the following: “That’s right, I was also a part-time staff member at the March concert. I also received some rice cakes and there were a lot of part-time staff at the concert. It was the first time I saw an artist also take care of part-time staff like IU…”
Since entering the entertainment industry in 2008, IU has signed a contract with Loen Entertainment (now renamed Kakao M). The two parties worked together for 10 years, during which time IU went from rookie singer to K-pop superstar. When his contract expired, IU agreed to renew it with Loen.
In a poignant moment, IU only had one condition to sign the extension. It wasn’t a request for a more spacious or modern studio, nor a higher income share; instead, IU simply asked for better benefits for the staff who work with her. “I still want to continue working with a close-knit staff that I consider my family. Please give them a raise” was IU’s only request.
Source: Intuition
