IU doesn't only touch the lives of those who listen to her music or watched her K-dramas. The multi-awarded singer/actress has proven that she is not only the queen of K-pop but also of charity works.
Lee Ji Eun, famously known as IU, has been featured as one of Forbes Mahagine's 30 "Heroes of Philanthropy: Catalysts for Change" in Asia. The "Love Poem" hitmaker is one of the two South Koreans who made it to the annual list. The other philanthropist in the list is the 56-year-old CEO of Amorepacific Group, Suh Kyung Bae.
Forbes' "Heroes of Philanthropy" list includes billionaires, entrepreneurs, and celebrities across the region who have generously donated money for those in need. The magazine, however, noted that the honorees were not only chosen because of their monetary contributions but also on the depth of their involvement and the reach of their philanthropic efforts.
IU is the youngest in the list. Forbes recognized her generous donations to a variety of causes. The 26-year-old South Korean singer's donations have already reached a total of 900 million won ($800,000) for 2018 alone.
According to Forbes, IU donated to the Seoul Association of the Deaf in March after she starred in K-drama, My Mister, in 2018. The TV series highlighted the lives of deaf and speech-impaired individuals. IU played the role of a young woman who grew up enduring many hardships in life, and she has a deaf grandmother.
In April, the Hotel del Luna actress also gave generous donations to the Gangwon Province to help fund relief efforts for the nearly 4,200 people who became homeless after a massive forest fire hit the province. She was the first of many celebrities who gave donations for the cause.
Since 2015, IU is also making donations to the Green Umbrella Children's Fund. It is an organization that helps single-parent families, children being raised by grandparents, and other underprivileged children.
Forbes mentioned IU's underprivileged background as part of her motivation for her charity works. This year, she also made donations to help the elderly people with the summer heat. The "Bbibbi" singer also did a joint donation with her fan club, UAENA, on her 11th anniversary in the industry.
IU dropped her ninth EP, Love Poem, on November 18. She achieved an all-kill record as soon as the album was released.
The singer is currently on her Love Poem Asia Tour. She visited Taiwan on December 1 and will be heading next to Singapore on December 7. IU will also perform for her fans in the Philippines on Dec. 13, in Malaysia on Dec. 21, Thailand on Dec. 24, and Indonesia on Dec. 28.
