Singer Koo Jun-yup stayed by the side of his late wife, Taiwanese actress Seo Hee-won, until her final moments.
Jia Yong-ji, known to be a close friend of Seo Hee-won, expressed her sorrow on her social media on the 3rd, saying, “Upon hearing the news of Seo Hee-won's passing, I immediately took the Shinkansen to see her. You looked peaceful and seemed to be sleeping beautifully as always. No matter how much I cried, I couldn't wake you up.”
Jia Yong-ji also mentioned Koo Jun-yup, referring to him as “oppa” (오빠). She said, “In the end, oppa gave you a deep kiss and said his eternal goodbye. Our hearts were torn apart by his cries.”
Jia Yong-ji expressed, “I miss you. Didn’t we agree to meet at my house after the Lunar New Year? Seo Hee-won’s sudden departure has made it difficult for family and friends to accept, and we are all very sad. Please give the family more time and consideration.” She also shared a photo taken with Seo Hee-won and Koo Jun-yup at a dinner hosted by Taiwanese film producer Wang Wei-chung last month.
On the 3rd, local Taiwanese media such as CNA and ETA Today reported that Seo Hee-won passed away after the flu she contracted during a trip to Japan developed into acute pneumonia.
A netizen who was a travel guide revealed that Seo Hee-won had cold symptoms when she arrived in Japan on January 29, and due to her poor condition, she was taken to the hospital by ambulance on the night of January 31, after being transferred to the hospital four times.
During her trip, Seo Hee-won went to the hospital with her family for a temporary check-up and was diagnosed with the flu. The hospital recommended that she go to a larger hospital, but Seo Hee-won did not seek further treatment as her condition improved with prescribed medication. However, her condition rapidly deteriorated overnight, and she was transported to the hospital by ambulance, where she reportedly passed away on the morning of the 2nd.
Seo Hee-won, who gained much love as the female lead “Shan Chai” in the Taiwanese version of “Boys Over Flowers,” titled “Meteor Garden” Seasons 1 and 2 (2001-2002), was also active in films such as “A Chinese Ghost Story” (2003), “The Butterfly Lovers” (2007), “The Assassins” (2010), and “The Great Wall” (2014).
In 2011, she married businessman Wang Xiao-fei and had one son and one daughter, but they divorced in 2021 after ten years of marriage. Later, she reconnected with her former lover Koo Jun-yup, and they dramatically reunited, registering their marriage in February 2022 without a wedding ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic, thus becoming a legal couple.
Since then, Koo Jun-yup and Seo Hee-won have shared their happy daily lives through social media. They celebrated Christmas on December 25 and New Year’s on the 31st, and just five days ago, they were spotted attending a party together, leading to an outpouring of condolences from fans upon the sudden news of Seo Hee-won’s passing.
[Geum Bit-na, MK Sports Reporter]
