The side of Wang Xiaofei, the ex-husband of late Taiwanese actress Seo Hee-won, has issued an official statement on how her estate will be divided, Sportschosun reported.
It said that Koo Jun-yup will legally inherit one-third of the estate, and that Wang also respects his decision on how to handle it.
On the 8th, local Taiwanese media outlets including ETtoday reported that Wang's side, through a lawyer, announced five positions regarding Seo's inheritance.
The statement came as controversy grew after Seo's mother recently said she had not received any inheritance from her daughter and lamented that she might be forced out of the home she bought with money she earned through hard work. Local reports also said Koo Jun-yup would not inherit the late actress's residence.
Wang's side first said it had applied to the court to appoint a special guardian to protect the rights and interests of the two minor children. It added that a court-appointed lawyer is now handling the estate division process.
It also addressed the inheritance ratio. The lawyer explained, "Two-thirds of Seo Hee-won's estate will legally go to the two minor children," and added, "Wang Xiaofei has set up and is managing a trust account for the children's inherited assets."
The lawyer also said, "The one-third statutory share inherited by Koo Jun-yup will be handled according to Koo Jun-yup's own plan, and Wang Xiaofei respects that."
Regarding the mortgage on the Taipei home where the late actress had lived, the side said, "Wang Xiaofei continues to support the loan repayments that the two children are responsible for," and rejected reports that the property is in danger of being auctioned off, saying, "Those reports are not true."
It also pushed back against claims by Seo's mother that she could be forced out of the house, saying, "We support her continued residence and have never asked her to move."
The side further said that some media reports and online speculation were inaccurate, adding that they are "causing great pain to the parties involved and their families."
Wang's side emphasized that it will continue to handle all matters, including inheritance, asset management and the children's housing arrangements, with the children's best interests as the top priority.
Meanwhile, Seo Hee-won died in February last year from acute pneumonia caused by influenza while traveling in Japan with her family. She was 48. She married Wang Xiaofei in 2011 and had one son and one daughter with him before divorcing in 2021. In 2022, she remarried Koo Jun-yup, a former boyfriend from more than 20 years earlier.
narusi@sportschosun.com
