[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] A nurse named Wei Xinhui (24), who voluntarily entered Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, which was closed due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), and was revered as the "vanguard of quarantine," has been revealed not to be an actual nurse, causing a stir. It was claimed that she, who even got engaged thanks to her fame, was actually married to another man and had a son, and that she was also a credit defaulter.
On the 16th, foreign media reported that Wei Xinhui was not a nurse but went to Wuhan as a volunteer and worked as a nurse without a nursing license.
Wei Xinhui voluntarily entered the locked-down Wuhan area on February 19 and stayed for 56 days, volunteering as a nursing assistant. She was known as "the first nurse from Nantong City, Jiangsu Province, to volunteer in Wuhan," attracting media attention.
At the time, she said in an interview, "I want to hug everyone, but I'm afraid the virus on me will spread," and "I didn't tell my parents because I thought they wouldn't allow it. Their pain is my pain."
Wei Xinhui's good deeds were widely reported in the media, and she was praised as "the most beautiful nurse" and other accolades.
After finishing her volunteer work at the end of April, she returned to her hometown and was recognized as an official member of the Chinese Communist Party, receiving awards such as "2020 Jiangsu Province's Most Beautiful Youth."
Additionally, she appeared on a broadcast and said, "I have respected the People's Liberation Army since I was young. I originally wanted to become a female soldier, but now I want to be a soldier's wife," making a surprise public marriage proposal. It is also known that she later met Wang Lin, a platoon leader of a Hubei women's brigade, arranged by the broadcasting station.
The two announced their engagement after six months of dating and promised to marry on Wei Xinhui's birthday next year. Chinese netizens congratulated them, calling them a perfect couple.
However, shortly after, a media outlet raised doubts about Wei Xinhui's identity. It claimed that she was not a nurse but an ordinary person who was already married and was even being pressured by banks over debts.
According to the report, Wei Xinhui worked at a hospital information desk in Nantong City three years ago. She then went to Wuhan as a volunteer and worked as a nurse without submitting a nursing license amid the chaos caused by COVID-19.
A former colleague of Wei Xinhui said, "She listed graduation from the prestigious Fudan University on her resume, and I thought it was strange why someone who graduated from such a university would work here."
Later, it was revealed that Wei Xinhui secretly accumulated hundreds of thousands of yuan in debt without her ex-husband's knowledge, leading to a divorce lawsuit, and testimonies surfaced that she worked part-time at bars and did not properly take care of her son.
Meanwhile, media outlets that highlighted her good deeds have deleted all related reports. Wei Xinhui stated on her SNS, "I admit my fault. In three days, I will provide an answer that satisfies everyone."
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