Paul Christian Ocampo

ON THIS DAY: Remembering ‘Shan Cai’ Barbie Hsu a year after her sudden farewell

Article (news)

Nikka Avegail Sabio

Push Team

<p>On this day a year ago, the entertainment world stood still as news broke of the sudden death of Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu at the age of 48. The beloved star passed away after developing pneumonia during a family trip to Japan over the Lunar New Year holiday in February 2025.</p><p>A year later, colleagues, fans, and loved ones continue to honor Barbie’s legacy through her iconic films, television series, and the love she shared with her family, particularly her husband, South Korean singer and DJ Koo Jun-yup, more popularly known as DJ Koo.</p><p>Barbie and DJ Koo tied the knot in February 2022, rekindling a romance that began more than two decades earlier. Prior to their marriage, Barbie was married to Chinese businessman Wang Xiaofei in 2010, with whom she had two children.</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1770038387605OTD_04-BarbieHsu.png" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div> </div><p>Days after Barbie’s passing, DJ Koo expressed his grief in separate messages written in Korean and Chinese, openly sharing the depth of his sorrow.</p><p>“Right now, I am going through indescribable sorrow and suffering, feeling a gut-wrenching pain,” the Korean artist expressed.</p><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-3" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DCqgrSezrwy/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=607&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A3%2C%22os%22%3A6596215.899999976%2C%22ls%22%3A188860%2C%22le%22%3A188863.69999998808%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="882" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-3" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><strong> </strong></div><div><strong>READ: </strong><strong>https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2025/2/3/remembering-barbie-hsu-through-her-movies-and-series-1527</strong></div><p>In the months that followed, reports revealed that DJ Koo rarely left his wife’s side, even in death. The Korean artist reportedly visited Barbie’s grave almost daily at the Chin Pao San Cemetery in New Taipei, Taiwan, halting all professional activities and choosing to remain in Taiwan to mourn privately.</p><p>Photos shared by Taiwanese locals showed DJ Koo quietly seated at the cemetery, often looking at images of his late wife on a tablet. According to The Korea Times, a Taiwanese netizen recounted a brief interaction with the grieving husband.</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1972850430603678105&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2026-02-02T08%3A25%3A03.783555%3Aae557d84-b30f-4c92-9cc3-fa09755562da%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=a0392bc7ceb2749098bed75fa7730f81c89d8214&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:550px;height:849px;display:block;flex-grow:1" data-tweet-id="1972850430603678105"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><strong> </strong></div><p>“I took a group to Jinbaoshan (Chin Pao San) Cemetery to lay flowers for Barbie Hsu. I saw a man sitting alone in the center of the graveyard. As I approached, I realized it was Koo Jun-yup. He politely thanked us,” the Taiwanese netizen shared as quoted by The Korea Times.</p><p>Other bystanders also noted how deeply devoted DJ Koo has been, with many saying they had seen him at Barbie’s grave almost every day.</p><p>“I used to think visiting a loved one’s grave every day was unrealistic. But Koo completely changed my view. We quietly laid our flowers and left without disturbing him,” another netizen expressed.</p><p>Last October, during the 60th Golden Bell Awards, Barbie’s younger sister Xu Xijie shared an update on DJ Koo, saying, &quot;My brother-in-law goes to Jinbaoshan Cemetery every day, eats his meals there, and draws my sister&#x27;s portrait every day.”</p><p>She added, &quot;Their home is filled with paintings of my sister. I hope we can hold an exhibition someday.&quot;</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1949776557314355363&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2026-02-02T08%3A25%3A03.783555%3Aae557d84-b30f-4c92-9cc3-fa09755562da%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=a0392bc7ceb2749098bed75fa7730f81c89d8214&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:550px;height:714px;display:block;flex-grow:1" data-tweet-id="1949776557314355363"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><strong> </strong></div><p>Recently, South Korean news outlet The Chosun Daily revealed that DJ Koo will appear in an upcoming episode of KBS’ <em>Celebrity Soldier’s Secret</em>, marking his first official public update a year after Barbie’s death.</p><p>In a released teaser, DJ Koo is seen speaking with host Jang Do-youn, recalling how he continued visiting Barbie’s grave even in the rain.</p><p>“I should come,” DJ Koo said as per the video snippet. “(Barbie) is lying there in much more pain than I am.”</p><p>Jang Do-youn shared that DJ Koo struggled to speak during the interview, saying, “Every answer to our questions was just tears. And he said he didn’t want to show that side of himself to the public.”</p><p>The episode, set to air on February 3, will reportedly show DJ Koo’s recent activities, including his visits to Barbie’s grave, moments of quiet remembrance, and photos she left behind.</p><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-4" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjW6wMoD-lg/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=607&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A4%2C%22os%22%3A6598997.899999976%2C%22ls%22%3A188860%2C%22le%22%3A188863.69999998808%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="882" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-4" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div> </div><p>Meanwhile, Taiwanese media outlet ET Today reported that DJ Koo has personally designed a commemorative statue in tribute to his late wife. The statue has been completed and is scheduled to be unveiled on February 2, marking the first anniversary of Barbie’s passing.</p><p>The unveiling ceremony is expected to be attended by Barbie’s younger brother Seo Hee-je, her mother, DJ Koo, as well as close friends and colleagues from the entertainment industry, as they gather to remember and mourn Barbie Hsu as a beloved actress, sister, wife, and friend.</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-2&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2018197832378044783&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2026-02-02T08%3A25%3A03.783555%3Aae557d84-b30f-4c92-9cc3-fa09755562da%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=a0392bc7ceb2749098bed75fa7730f81c89d8214&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:550px;height:825px;display:block;flex-grow:1" data-tweet-id="2018197832378044783"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div> </div><p>Barbie Hsu’s absence remains deeply felt not only through the characters she brought to life onscreen, but through the quiet devotion of those she left behind. As family, friends, and fans gather to mark the first anniversary of her passing, Barbie is remembered not just as a celebrated star but also through the people she cherished.</p>

Remembering ‘Shan Cai’ Barbie Hsu a year after her sudden farewell

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Remembering ‘Shan Cai’ Barbie Hsu a year after her sudden farewell

Nikka Sabio,

Push Team

Published February 02, 2026 09:20 PM PHT

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Updated March 27, 2026 02:32 PM PHT

Read More:

Barbie Hsu

ON THIS DAY

Koo Jun Yup

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