Korean Variety Show Reveals Barbie Hsu's Final 5 Days — Reason Behind DJ Koo's 'Grief Authorization' Exposed

Actress Barbie Hsu (Xu Xiyuan) passed away due to complications from influenza and pneumonia in Tokyo, Japan on February 2 last year, at the age of 48. The Korean KBS 2TV program 'The Secret of Life, Aging, Sickness, and Death of Celebrities' produced a special episode for the first anniversary of Barbie Hsu's passing, going to Taiwan to capture DJ Koo crying uncontrollably at her grave. The show also explored Barbie Hsu's 'final five days.' She had originally hoped to return to Taiwan for treatment but suffered sudden cardiac arrest on her way to the airport and could not be saved after 14 hours of emergency treatment in the hospital. Why did the show have so many details? It turns out that DJ Koo was so grief-stricken that he couldn't be interviewed personally and instead gave his 'grief authorization' to reveal the truth. His main purpose was 'to hope that everyone will never forget her.'

The show's host Jang Doo Ryeon recalled that during the interview, Koo Jun Yup fell silent many times and even broke down in tears. Because his emotions were too fragile, the producers decided not to air his interview footage and instead retold the details in narrative form.

Reason for Frequent Visits to Jinbaoshan Cemetery Revealed

The show also filmed DJ Koo visiting the Jinbaoshan Cemetery to pay respects to Barbie Hsu even in heavy rain. When asked why he insisted on coming so often, he choked up and said, "I must come. Xiyuan is lying here now—she has it even harder and is even more tired than me." He expressed his final wish: "I hope everyone who loves Xiyuan will never forget her."

The episode of 'The Secret of Life, Aging, Sickness, and Death of Celebrities' that aired on the 3rd achieved a viewership rating of 3.1%, taking second place among variety shows in the same time slot. It not only moved the hosts to tears but also set the highest ratings since the show began. With the theme 'A Love That Even Made the Sky Weep,' the program invited Oh My Girl member Hyojung and renowned lyricist Kim Eana as guests and poignantly reviewed the movie-like romantic story between Koo Jun Yup of the Korean group 'Clon' and Barbie Hsu, from falling in love, parting ways, reuniting 23 years later, to finally being separated by death, leaving many viewers in tears in front of their TV screens.

Staying by Barbie Hsu's Side for a Year — 'Returning to Korea Plan' Revealed

It is reported that after the anniversary ceremony for Barbie Hsu concluded, DJ Koo's mood improved significantly, and he had fulfilled his wish. During the important Lunar New Year holiday, he may return to Korea to see his family.

In fact, the Korean variety show 'The Secret of Life, Aging, Sickness, and Death of Celebrities' featured a special retrospective on Barbie Hsu and DJ Koo. The production team revealed that during the three days of filming, 'We saw how much pain DJ Koo was in,” and said with regret, "He has become extremely thin, his eyes full of tears, and was often unable to talk with us. The production crew felt heartbroken for his situation and could only quietly observe him."

Throughout the three days of filming, the team said that DJ Koo's routine remained unchanged—every day, he traveled back and forth between his residence and the cemetery, with the round-trip taking about three hours, but he never missed a day. "We saw DJ Koo in so much pain that after observing for three days, we decided not to conduct any interviews. Every day he would prepare food to place in front of the gravestone, then kneel to pay respects, and then sit down, as if dining together, endlessly watching videos of Barbie Hsu. I cannot believe he persisted like this for a year."

Source: Compilation