A Dream of a New Beginning in Korea
K-Pop fans have been touched by the recently revealed plans of the late Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu to move to South Korea with her husband, K-Pop icon Koo Jun Yup, and her two children. Prior to her passing, Hsu had been secretly making arrangements for a fresh start in Korea, a move that highlights her deep connection to Koo Jun Yup and her dedication to their life together.
According to Taiwanese media outlets like ETtoday, Barbie Hsu and Koo Jun Yup were actively preparing for this significant family relocation. Hsu was diligently researching schools for her children and had quietly transferred approximately 10 million New Taiwan dollars (around $320,000 USD or 452 million KRW) to Korea, setting the financial groundwork for their new life.
Family Dynamics and Financial Arrangements
This ambitious relocation plan, however, reportedly caused tension between Barbie Hsu and her mother, Huang Chun-mei. Huang had long managed her daughter’s finances and resisted relinquishing control of these assets. To appease her mother, Barbie Hsu reportedly transferred the ownership title of her luxury apartment in the National Arts Council complex to Huang.
Barbie Hsu tragically passed away in February last year at the age of 48 due to acute pneumonia. Her life saw significant personal developments, including her marriage to Chinese businessman Wang Xiaofei in 2011, with whom she had a son and a daughter before their divorce in 2021. She later reconnected with Koo Jun Yup, registering their marriage in both Korea and Taiwan in 2022, marking a poignant reunion.
A Legacy and Lingering Questions
Regarding her substantial estate, estimated at approximately 600 million RMB (around $90 million USD or 120 billion KRW), Wang Xiaofei’s legal representative confirmed that under Taiwanese law, the inheritance would be equally divided—one-third each—among Koo Jun Yup and her two children.
Earlier reports had sparked speculation of an inheritance dispute, claiming Koo Jun Yup had declined to sign a waiver requested by his mother-in-law, despite his statement that the estate belonged to the family. However, an acquaintance of Koo Jun Yup has since officially debunked these rumors, confirming that Koo Jun Yup and Barbie Hsu’s mother remain on good terms. Koo Jun Yup’s side has not issued any further separate statement regarding these recent reports.
