Days after Lee Jong Suk and IU officially confirmed the end of their four-year relationship, fans have begun revisiting one of the actor’s most heartfelt interviews—one in which he openly spoke about his hopes for marriage and starting a family.

The interview, originally conducted in February 2022, has gained renewed attention because it reveals how seriously Lee Jong Suk viewed marriage even before his relationship with IU became public.

At the time, Lee admitted that while he had always dreamed of getting married at a young age, his perspective had evolved as he grew older.

“When I was younger, I always said I wanted to get married early. Now I’m at an age where marriage doesn’t feel like a distant dream anymore.”

He went on to describe his long-standing desire to build a family, saying he had often imagined what married life would be like.

One of the interview’s most memorable moments came when Lee joked that he would even learn massage techniques for his future wife if it meant making her happier.

“I’ve always dreamed about having a family. For my future wife, I’d even learn massage.”

He also shared a more personal wish, saying that if he could ask for one thing, he hoped fate would lead him to the right life partner.

When asked about his ideal type, Lee gave an answer that many fans have been discussing again following the breakup announcement.

Rather than focusing on appearance, he said he wanted someone who was intelligent, independent, and worthy of his respect. Above all, he hoped to marry someone he found genuinely lovable, adding that finding such a person was not easy.

Those comments have taken on new meaning after ACE Factory confirmed on July 10 that Lee Jong Suk and IU had decided to end their relationship after four years together. The agency stated that the two had mutually chosen to part ways and would continue supporting each other as colleagues.

Following the announcement, many fans expressed sadness while revisiting Lee’s earlier reflections on marriage. Some said they were surprised by how sincerely he had spoken about settling down, while others described the interview as bittersweet in light of the breakup.

Lee Jong Suk and IU first met in 2012 while serving as MCs on SBS’s Inkigayo. Ironically, Lee has previously admitted that they initially struggled to connect, saying their personalities didn’t seem compatible and that they rarely spoke off camera during that period.

Over time, however, the two became close friends. Lee later revealed that working with IU gradually changed his impression of her and that he eventually developed feelings for her.

Their romance was officially confirmed in December 2022, after years of friendship.

During his acceptance speech at the 2022 MBC Drama Awards, Lee made a heartfelt reference to IU, revealing that he had admired her for a long time. He also credited her with helping him through a difficult period following his military service, saying she had given him positive direction and emotional support.

Throughout their relationship, the pair remained notably private. Unlike many celebrity couples, they rarely shared personal photos or public displays of affection, leading to occasional breakup rumors over the years.

Those rumors became reality when both sides confirmed their separation, reportedly citing increasingly demanding schedules and a lack of time together as the primary reason they were unable to maintain the relationship.

Since then, Lee Jong Suk’s comments about marriage have resurfaced across social media—not as evidence explaining the breakup, but as a reminder of how openly he once spoke about his hopes for love, family, and finding the right partner in the future.

It is worth noting that neither Lee Jong Suk nor IU has suggested that those earlier comments were connected to the reasons for their breakup. Public discussion linking his past views on marriage to the end of the relationship remains speculative, and the only explanation publicly confirmed by their agencies is that the couple’s increasingly busy schedules made it difficult to sustain the relationship.