Celebrity

Late Comedian Seo Se-won's Emotional Funeral in Cambodia; Seo Dong-joo Returns to Korea with Ashes

Apr 28, 2023 | by Samriddhi Dastidar

Courtesy of Park Hyeon-ok, vice president of Asian Korean Association Late Seo Se-won: Controversy Surrounds Signature and Alleged Propofol Injection

The late comedian Seo Se-won's cremation and funeral ceremony took place in Cambodia with the attendance of his family and friends.

On April 28, a local Cambodian who attended the funeral told Ilgan Sports, "The funeral ceremony has just ended, and the cremation process is currently underway." Seo Dong-joo, Seo Se-won's daughter and a lawyer and TV personality, is planning to return to Korea tonight with her father's ashes.

The funeral ceremony was held with a solemn atmosphere, filled with tears from the family and the Korean community. The somber mood was captured in photos obtained by Ilgan Sports.

Seo Se-won passed away suddenly on April 20th after receiving an IV at a Korean hospital in Cambodia. His temporary funeral hall was set up at a temple in Phnom Penh, where his body was kept refrigerated.

Seo Dong-joo, who arrived in Cambodia on April 20th after hearing the news of her father's death, returned to Korea on the 24th after discussing funeral arrangements with her family. Afterward, she continued to discuss the funeral plans with her family and returned to Cambodia on the 27th.

The late comedian's family released a statement today, explaining that due to poor local conditions, they decided to hold Seo Se-won's cremation in Cambodia. The funeral will take place at the Seoul Asan Hospital Funeral Hall 20, and the Korean Comedians Association will manage the proceedings. The memorial service will begin on April 30th at 1 PM, and the funeral procession will be on May 2nd.

The family also revealed that they received a death certificate from the local Cambodian police on April 24th, stating that Seo Se-won died of a heart attack caused by diabetes. However, they found it difficult to accept the cause of death based on various circumstances.

The family expressed their deep shock and sorrow upon encountering numerous speculations, fake news, and malicious rumors regarding Seo Se-won's death in articles, videos, and posts. They urgently requested the immediate removal of all false news, videos, and posts, and warned that they would seek legal action against those responsible if the harassment continued.

Seo Se-won made his debut through TBC Radio's gag contest in 1979 and gained fame by hosting shows like 'Youth March' and 'Sunday Sunday Night.' However, he left the entertainment industry in disgrace in 2009 due to various controversies, including stock manipulation and embezzlement. In 2015, he was sentenced to six months in prison with two years of probation for assaulting his wife Seo Jeong-hee and later divorced. Seo Se-won remarried a 23-year-younger musician in 2016 and had been living in Cambodia since 2019. Recently, he was known for his ministry activities at a Cambodian church.