"Seo Heewon Dies of Acute Pneumonia, Visited Hospital 4 Times but Missed the Golden Time"

"Immediate Fluid Therapy Is Essential When Flu Symptoms Appear"

Taiwanese actress Xu Shiyuan (48, Seo Heewon), wife of former group Clon member Koo Jun-yup (55), was revealed to have visited hospitals four times before dying of acute pneumonia caused by the flu during a trip to Japan.

Seo Heewon and Koo Junyup. Vogue

On the 3rd, Taiwanese media including ET Today reported, "Seo Heewon was transported to the hospital four times before her death." According to the report, this fact came to light after a netizen shared a conversation on social media with a friend who served as Seo Heewon's tour guide in Japan.

The conversation revealed that Seo Heewon showed cold symptoms such as coughing from the day she arrived in Japan with her family on the 29th of last month, and on the 31st, she was taken by ambulance to a hospital where she received emergency treatment.

However, Seo Heewon's condition did not improve afterward. Eventually, her family took her to a small hospital on the 1st for treatment. There, she was diagnosed with type A influenza and prescribed medication, but her condition rapidly worsened that night. She was transported to the hospital in the middle of the night but ultimately passed away around 7 a.m. on the 2nd.

Although Seo Heewon visited hospitals multiple times before her death, missing the treatment 'golden time' has drawn regretful reactions in Taiwan. Sui Feng, a thoracic surgery specialist at Taiwan Municipal United Hospital, stated on Facebook, "Due to the inconvenience of overseas medical care, (Seo Heewon) could not be hospitalized and had to return home despite receiving treatment four times," adding, "When inflammation spreads throughout the body due to flu onset, it is crucial to quickly replenish fluids through intravenous and medication treatment. If one takes hot spring baths or sweats excessively causing dehydration, the condition can worsen."

With Seo Heewon's cause of death known to be acute pneumonia caused by the flu, the number of people seeking flu vaccines in Taiwan is also increasing. ET News reported, "Seo Heewon's death from flu and pneumonia has raised public concern," and "Hospitals are receiving a flood of calls asking if flu vaccines are available. More people are opting for premium flu vaccines, which had previously been less popular."