[OSEN=Kim Soo-hyung] Taiwanese top star and wife of Korean singer Koo Jun-yup, Seo Hee-won, has passed away unexpectedly at the age of 48. Reports indicate that her estate is worth 120 billion won, and it is said that Koo Jun-yup has decided to forgo it to protect Seo Hee-won’s family, evoking even more emotional response from the public.
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According to several foreign reports including China’s Sina Entertainment and Taiwan’s ET Today, Seo Hee-won passed away on the morning of February 2 due to pneumonia resulting from the flu while traveling in Japan with her family.
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Regarding this, on the 6th, Koo Jun-yup wrote a lengthy post on his SNS saying, “On February 2, 2025, my angel returned to heaven,” expressing his sincere gratitude to many who mourned Seo Hee-won. He shared, “I am currently enduring indescribable sorrow and pain, feeling as if my heart is tearing apart. I have neither the strength nor the desire to speak,” conveying his initial feelings publicly for the first time after his wife’s sudden passing.
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Attention was particularly drawn to the inheritance and custody of children. According to Taiwanese broadcaster ETToday on the 4th, Seo Hee-won reportedly owned multiple real estate properties, including National Art Museum land and a penthouse. Estimates suggest her total assets, including the property divided after divorcing her former husband, second-generation chaebol Wang Xiaofei, amount to around 6 billion yuan (about 120 billion won). Although Koo Jun-yup could demand half of the inheritance as her current husband, the short duration of their marriage makes this unlikely. Furthermore, there were reports that they hadn’t registered their marriage in Taiwan, although this was not true, which further increased interest in the inheritance.
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Despite the sensitive issue, Koo Jun-yup spoke out. On the same day, through personal SNS, Koo Jun-yup said, “All of the inheritance was collected with blood and sweat by Hee-won to protect her beloved family; thus, I intend to entrust the rights to my mother-in-law.” He further explained, “To ensure the children’s rights are not tampered with by bad people, we plan to take legal action through a lawyer to protect them until they reach adulthood.” He expressed his intent not to give up the custody battle of the children, continuing the legal disputes the deceased had with her ex-husband. Ultimately, he emphasized protecting the loving family of the deceased rather than focusing on money. He added, “Reuploading as posts in China can cause misunderstandings,” hoping for the children’s rightful inheritance to be properly protected under the supervision of a lawyer.
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Finally, he expressed, “The times I spent with Hee-won are invaluable gifts that cannot be exchanged for anything in the world. I believe protecting the family Hee-won cherished most is the last thing I can do.” He bowed his head in gratitude to everyone who loved and mourned for Seo Hee-won and thanked them one more time. With this, fans from both Korea and overseas are sending their condolences to him while also paying tribute to the deceased.
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Meanwhile, Koo Jun-yup and Seo Hee-won dated in the early 2000s but broke up. Twenty years later, in 2022, they reunited, surprising people with their marriage announcement, receiving congratulations from netizens. The couple got married in March 2022, creating a story much like a movie, garnering support from fans worldwide. Sadly, the sudden news has come as a greater shock as they were approaching their third wedding anniversary in March this year.
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