Koo Jun-yeop has publicly criticized the ex-husband of his late wife, Seo Hee-won (Barbie Hsu's Korean name), while Wang Xiaofei's side has also fired back, escalating the controversy.

On January 6, Koo Jun-yeop shared his first public statement following the passing of Seo Hee-won.

"My angel has returned to the heavens," Koo wrote. "Right now, I am experiencing indescribable sorrow and pain, as if my heart is being torn apart. I have no strength to speak, nor do I want to."

He continued, "Some people are pretending to grieve by walking in the rain, while others are spreading fake news about insurance and funeral costs just to tarnish our family."

"It terrifies me to realize that such cruel people truly exist in this world," Koo expressed. "I sincerely plead with you all-please, let Hee-won rest in peace. I beg you."

Koo's remarks were widely interpreted as a direct attack on Seo Hee-won's ex-husband, Wang Xiaofei.

Wang had changed his profile picture to a black screen even before Seo Hee-won's passing was officially announced. He also appeared visibly distressed when speaking about her to reporters and was seen walking alone in the rain without an umbrella, fueling accusations that he was staging his grief for the public. Seo Hee-won's fans harshly criticized him, calling his behavior a "performance."

Adding to the controversy, Wang Xiaofei's mother, Zhang Lan, hosted a live broadcast mentioning her former daughter-in-law's passing, which led to backlash from netizens, who reported her account.

Seo Hee-won's younger sister, Seo Hee-je, expressed outrage over the false rumors linking Wang Xiaofei to a private jet that transported the late actress's remains from Japan to Taiwan. "All funeral arrangements were personally handled by our family and my husband. My sister is watching from above-must she endure these painful lies even now?" she lamented.

On January 7, Taiwanese media outlet SETN reported that Wang Xiaofei's close associates had responded aggressively to the accusations.

"We are ready for battle," they reportedly stated. "Who truly took care of Seo Hee-won?"

According to SETN, Wang's associates emphasized, "Wang Xiaofei traveled between China and Taiwan thousands of times over the past decade for Seo Hee-won. Why would he need to fake grief by walking in the rain? She was the mother of his children. He is too devastated to even stand up, let alone spread rumors."

They further added, "Has anyone even asked the children who they want to be with?" sparking intense debate online.

Amid the ongoing controversy, Seo Hee-won's former manager took to social media to address the swirling rumors.

"A real man stands by Seo Hee-won's side and protects her children," the manager wrote. "While others spread false rumors, we have quietly grieved." He dismissed claims that Koo Jun-yeop had taken out a 46 million yuan ($6.4 million) life insurance policy or that Seo Hee-won's sister insisted on keeping her remains at home to force Wang Xiaofei into continuing mortgage payments, calling them "pure fabrications."

The manager also refuted the claim that Wang Xiaofei had paid for a private jet. "All he did was ask his driver to drop him off in front of reporters so he could walk in the rain for 30 minutes," he stated.

Additionally, regarding the rumor that Seo Hee-won's mother had described Wang Xiaofei as her daughter's "true love," the manager clarified, "In reality, her mother believes that the three years Seo Hee-won spent married to Koo Jun-yeop were the happiest years of her life."

As the controversy continues, netizens and fans of Seo Hee-won and Koo Jun-yeop have expressed concern for the grieving family, urging an end to the ongoing disputes.

Copyright © 2023 Kpop Reporter. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.