Former Husband and Mother-in-Law of Seo Hee-won Banned from Social Media Amid Fake News Controversy

The former husband and mother-in-law of the late Seo Hee-won have received an indefinite suspension from social media platforms due to their involvement in spreading false information about her. According to sources in the telecommunications industry, Douyin, the parent company of the Chinese social media platform TikTok, took action on February 8 against the accounts of Seo Hee-won's ex-husband, Wang So-bi, and his mother, Zhang Lan. The controversy escalated when Zhang Lan conducted a live broadcast on February 6, the day Seo Hee-won's remains arrived in Taiwan, which drew significant backlash from netizens. Additionally, they liked a post that falsely claimed Wang So-bi had covered the costs of transporting Seo Hee-won from Japan to Taiwan, further fueling the spread of misinformation.

Wang So-bi faced criticism for his public display of grief, which some accused of being a mere performance. Both he and Zhang Lan had previously disseminated false narratives about Seo Hee-won during her lifetime, alleging an affair between her and Gu Jun-yeop, and even spreading rumors about drug involvement. In November 2023, Seo Hee-won filed a lawsuit against them for defamation and insult.

Gu Jun-yeop has also expressed his outrage over the fake news targeting Seo Hee-won. On February 6, he posted on his personal account, lamenting the exploitation of their family's grief by 'demonic' individuals who were spreading lies about insurance and costs related to her death.

Seo Hee-won's long-time manager refuted several false claims, including allegations that Gu Jun-yeop had taken out a death insurance policy worth 46 million yuan (approximately 9 billion KRW) on her life, and that Seo Hee-won's sister celebrated her impending death. The manager also stated that Seo Hee-won's mother believed her daughter’s happiest moments were during her three-year marriage to Wang So-bi.

The manager criticized Wang So-bi for staging a scene where he walked in the rain for 30 minutes after asking his driver to drop him off in front of reporters, and reiterated that Seo Hee-won's mother thought her daughter’s marriage was the happiest time of her life. The manager concluded by expressing dismay at the 'ugly nature of humanity' that has been revealed through these events.