The Late Seo Heewon's Assets Estimated at 120 Billion KRW
Legal Experts: "Gu Junyeop Unlikely to Claim Half of Inheritance Due to Short Marriage Duration"
Singer and DJ Gu Junyeop's wife, the late famous Taiwanese actress Seo Heewon (48), reportedly left behind assets worth 600 million yuan (120 billion KRW), according to local reports.
On the 4th (Korean time), local media including Dongsen Broadcasting Station (ETTV) reported that Seo Heewon owned multiple properties in Xinyi District, Taipei City, Taiwan. The Grandview Residence, purchased in 2011, was reportedly sold in 2020 for 54.81 million yuan (10.94457 billion KRW).
The site of the National Art Museum is currently valued at about 44.38 million yuan (8.86 billion KRW), and the penthouse is valued at 80.34 million yuan (16.04384 billion KRW). Simply calculated, the real estate assets alone amount to approximately 25 billion KRW. Adding the assets Seo Heewon received in the divorce settlement with her ex-husband Wang Xiaofei, the total assets are estimated by the media to exceed 600 million yuan.
In Taiwan's legal circles, it is expected that Seo Heewon's inheritance will be divided equally into thirds among her two children with her ex-husband and Gu Junyeop. Lawyer Lin Zigun told the media, "If Seo Heewon did not write a will, 200 million yuan each will be inherited by Gu Junyeop and the two children," adding, "Gu Junyeop could claim half of the inheritance, but it would be difficult due to the short duration of the marriage."
The two children are expected to be taken by the ex-husband Wang Xiaofei. Lawyer Lin Zigun explained, "Gu Junyeop has not yet adopted the children. Seo Heewon's biological mother can take all the children, but the consent of the biological father Wang Xiaofei is required. Custody still belongs to Wang Xiaofei." Another local lawyer also said, "Gu Junyeop has no relation to Seo Heewon's children. Custody belongs to Wang Xiaofei, and it is impossible for Gu Junyeop to compete with Wang Xiaofei over this." He added, "If Seo Heewon did not write a will during her lifetime, two-thirds of the inheritance could go to Wang Xiaofei, who will raise the children."
Seo Heewon passed away at the age of 48 in Japan on the 3rd. Seo Heewon's younger sister Seo Heeje told local media on the same day, "During the Lunar New Year holiday, our family traveled to Japan. My dearest sister Heewon sadly left us due to pneumonia complications caused by the flu." Gu Junyeop is reported to have been by Seo Heewon's side until the end. Seo Heewon's friend Jayoonje shared on Instagram on the 3rd, "Gu Junyeop gave a deep kiss and a heartfelt farewell. Our hearts were torn by his crying."
Meanwhile, Seo Heewon dated Gu Junyeop for about a year in 1998 before breaking up. She later married businessman Wang Xiaofei in 2011 and had one son and one daughter, but they divorced in 2021 after 10 years of marriage. Upon hearing about Seo Heewon's divorce, Gu Junyeop contacted her using her phone number from 20 years ago, which was still active, leading to a fateful reunion after 23 years. Unable to travel to Taiwan due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gu Junyeop found a way to enter the country to see his spouse and registered their marriage in 2022 before visiting Seo Heewon in Taiwan. Their movie-like story was a major topic at the time. Since then, he has been living with Seo Heewon in Taiwan and reportedly traveled to Korea occasionally for broadcasting appearances and other schedules.
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