IU's use of ex Chang Kiha's song sparks rumors; Chang Kiha focuses on new film

Singer and actress IU drew unexpected attention after selecting a song by her former partner, Chang Kiha, as background music on her SNS. While reports later emerged claiming she had deleted the music release, it has been confirmed that this was untrue, and the situation is settling as a minor incident. Meanwhile, Chang Kiha has quietly continued his activities, focusing on promoting his new work without any particular reaction.

On the 6th, IU shared a recent photo on her SNS with the caption, "Hello, it's been a while. I'm living life to the fullest." This post was her first direct update on her current status after temporarily postponing official schedules due to recent health issues.

However, it was the background music rather than the photo that caught the eyes of fans. The song IU chose was "Living Without Incident" by Chang Kiha & The Faces, the band led by her former partner, Chang Kiha.

The two were noted as a representative celebrity couple after officially acknowledging their relationship in 2015, before announcing their breakup in 2017. As a long time has passed, IU's use of Chang Kiha's music in her post naturally brought their past relationship back into the spotlight.

The controversy grew when some media outlets reported on the 7th that IU had deleted the background music. However, it was confirmed that IU had actually maintained the Chang Kiha song used in her post until around 4 PM that afternoon. Ultimately, the report that she 'deleted it' proved to be inaccurate.

As it became known that IU had used the music for approximately 24 hours, interest shifted in a different direction. This is because the speculations and reports surrounding the event seemed to outpace the actual situation rather than the fact that she used her ex-partner's song.

In the meantime, Chang Kiha offered no particular response. Instead, he focused on his work by announcing the release of the short film "San San Jo Gak," which is related to his new album, on his SNS.

Chang Kiha shared promotional materials for "San San Jo Gak" released by CGV on his SNS. The video features Chang Kiha's new song "A Nonsense Story" and captures the nature of this new project, which combines poetry, music, and film.

"San San Jo Gak" is a work that expands Chang Kiha's new album beyond a simple music release into a form that combines video and music. At the 27th Jeonju International Film Festival held last May, Chang Kiha first presented part of the album in the form of a short film lasting about 30 minutes. In the film, the album tracks play sequentially, and Chang Kiha also makes an appearance.

This project showcases Chang Kiha's unique experimental sense by connecting poetry, silent film, and music into a single creative format. The film is scheduled for a solo release at CGV on August 26.

As a result, IU's post reignited their past romance simply because she used her ex-partner's song, and the unexpected buzz was further fueled by the false 'deletion rumors.' On the other hand, rather than riding the wave of the controversy, Chang Kiha focused on promoting his music and film project.

IU and Chang Kiha are already walking their own paths. IU continues her activities as an actress and singer, while Chang Kiha is presenting new work by expanding his music into a cinematic format. Amidst this, a single song symbolizing their past connection briefly intersected on SNS, yet public attention once again turned toward the two's past.

IU acknowledged her relationship with Chang Kiha in 2015 and broke up in 2017. Later, she began a public relationship with actor Lee Jong-suk in 2022, but announced their breakup this year. Chang Kiha recently acknowledged his relationship with actress Yoon Ga-i, who is 18 years younger, and is known to be continuing their relationship to this day.