[Sportschosun reporter Lee Ji-hyun] Barbie Hsu, the wife of singer Koo Jun-yup and a top Taiwanese star, has left her name in space forever after her death.
According to Hong Kong media outlet Sing Tao Daily and other Chinese-language reports on the 16th, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) recently finalized the official name of asteroid 208663 as "Xu Xiyuan" through a meeting of its Working Group for Small Body Nomenclature.
The asteroid was discovered in Arizona in 2002 by renowned Hong Kong astronomer Yeung Kwong-yu. It was initially given the provisional designation "2002 GF11," and about 24 years later, it has now officially been named after Barbie Hsu.
In the Chinese-speaking world, the news is being given special meaning. Local media reported, "Barbie Hsu, who believed in the existence of extraterrestrial life during her lifetime, has become a true star," adding, "Although she has passed away, she will be remembered by fans as an eternal Shancai."
Barbie Hsu rose to explosive popularity across Asia for playing the heroine Shancai in Meteor Garden, the Taiwanese version of "Boys Over Flowers." Along with her younger sister Dee Hsu, she was also loved as one of the most famous star sisters in the Chinese entertainment world, and they were affectionately known locally as Big S and Xiao S.
The news that her name has been engraved on an asteroid has also made a deeper impact by bringing to mind her movie-like love story with her husband, Koo Jun-yup.
The two first met through broadcasting work in 1998 and became romantically involved, but later broke up for various practical reasons. After going their separate ways, Koo Jun-yup learned that Barbie Hsu had divorced and reached out to her again in 2021, leading to their reunion. After more than 20 years apart, they married in 2022 and received congratulations from many people.
Their happiness did not last long. Barbie Hsu suddenly died in February last year from complications of pneumonia caused by influenza during a family trip to Japan, shocking many.
Since then, Koo Jun-yup has reportedly stopped his activities and frequently visited her burial site at Chin Pao San Cemetery in Taiwan, showing his unchanged grief and longing.
Meanwhile, Yeung Kwong-yu, who dedicated Barbie Hsu's name to the asteroid, is a world-renowned astronomer who has discovered more than 2,000 asteroids. He has also drawn attention in the past by naming asteroids after major Chinese-language cultural figures such as Teresa Teng, Andy Lau, Jacky Cheung, and Faye Wong.
olzllovely@sportschosun.com
