Barbie Hsu's Unfulfilled Dreams of Relocation to South Korea
Barbie Hsu's Plans for a New Life
The late actress Barbie Hsu was reportedly on the verge of a significant life change before her tragic passing in February 2025. Recent reports indicate that she was preparing to move to South Korea with her husband, singer Koo Jun-Yup, and their two children, aiming to start anew as a family. As part of her plans, Barbie is said to have transferred around 452 million KRW to Korea and was actively looking into educational options for her children. However, these preparations allegedly led to tensions within her family.
Barbie Hsu's Aspirations for a New Beginning in Korea
Barbie Hsu, renowned for her memorable role in Meteor Garden, had been quietly organizing her move to South Korea alongside her husband Koo Jun-Yup and their children prior to her untimely death. Taiwanese media reports suggest that the couple was keen on establishing a new home in Korea, with Barbie researching appropriate schools to ensure a seamless transition for her kids. To support this move, she reportedly transferred about 10 million New Taiwan dollars, equivalent to approximately 452 million KRW, to Korea.
These reports imply that the relocation was not merely a change of address but a significant fresh start for Barbie, who had rekindled her romance with Koo Jun-Yup after years apart. The couple had reunited following Barbie's divorce and officially registered their marriage in both Taiwan and South Korea in 2022.
Family Tensions Surrounding the Move
However, the plans for relocation reportedly caused friction within Barbie's family, particularly with her mother, Huang Chun-mei. Reports indicate that Huang Chun-mei had managed Barbie's finances for many years and was resistant to relinquishing control of those assets back to her daughter. In an attempt to alleviate tensions, Barbie is said to have transferred the ownership of her luxury apartment in Taipei's National Arts Council residential complex to her mother. Despite these efforts, family disputes reportedly persisted as Barbie prepared for what she envisioned as a new chapter in Korea.
Barbie Hsu passed away on February 2, 2025, at the age of 48 while on a family vacation in Japan during the Lunar New Year. She succumbed to acute pneumonia caused by an influenza infection. Her younger sister, Dee Hsu, publicly confirmed the news, which sent shockwaves through her fanbase across Asia and the entertainment industry.
Prior to her marriage to Koo Jun-Yup, Barbie was married to Chinese businessman Wang Xiaofei in 2011. The couple had a son and a daughter before their marriage ended in 2021. She later reconnected with Koo, whom she had dated years earlier, and they quickly rekindled their relationship, marrying in 2022. Following Barbie Hsu's death, attention shifted to her estate, estimated to be worth around 600 million RMB, or approximately $90 million USD (120 billion KRW). According to Wang Xiaofei's legal representative, Taiwanese inheritance laws dictate that Barbie Hsu's estate will be divided equally among Koo Jun-Yup and her two children, with each party receiving a one-third share.