Lee Jong-suk Marks First Birthday Since IU Split With Fan Message

Actor Lee Jong-suk shared a glimpse of his day with fans as he marked his 37th birthday. It was his first birthday since ending his public relationship with singer IU.

On Sept.14, Lee posted a video to his Instagram Story that had been released by his agency, A-MAN Project. Lee was born on September 14, 1989.

The video showed the actor going through letters and gifts sent by fans. Dressed in a T-shirt and jeans and seated on the floor, Lee read the letters one by one and smiled as he held up a card decorated with hearts.

The birthday drew added attention as his first since wrapping up his high-profile relationship with IU. The two dated publicly for about four years before confirming their split in July.

Lee has continued to share pieces of his personal life on social media since the breakup, including travel photos. On Sept. 8, he posted several pictures from a vacation spot. In the images, he walked through the streets in a relaxed look, wearing a black cap, thick-rimmed glasses, a T-shirt and shorts. Other photos showed him running across the sand with a rainbow in the background and smiling toward the camera.

Fans noticed that Lee appeared to have put on some weight compared to his usually lean frame. In a few shots, he playfully pushed his stomach out for the camera. Online reactions ranged from comments like "he looks like he's gained weight" and "his face has gotten rounder" to speculation that he might be bulking up. Comments on the post are currently restricted. It is not clear when or why the comment function was disabled.

Lee is next set to appear in the Disney+ series "The Remarried Empress,"as Heinrey, a prince of the Western Kingdom.The series premiering on Nov. 4.