On February 2, they reported the main media in Korea, Taiwan and Greater China, “Barbie Hsu died suddenly due to acute pneumonia while traveling to Japan with his family.“He was 48 years old.
Barbie HSU’s younger sister, the owner Dee Hsu, also officially confirmed his passage through his agency on February 3, affirming: “My sister, Barbie Hsu, left us tragically.“
Barbie Hsu Rose to celebrity like Shan Cai
Born in 1976, Barbie Hsu debuted in the entertainment sector in 1994 at the age of 18 as part of the group of SOS girls (Sisters of Shu) with his younger sister Dee HSU. The sisters, known as “Big S” (Barbie Hsu) and “Little S” (Dee HSU), have obtained recognition as a popular idol duo.
Barbie Hsu climbed to the stars in 2001 when he played the main role of Shan Cai (the Korean equivalent of Geum Jan-Di) in “Meteor Garden”, the Taiwanese adaptation of the successful manga “Boys Over Flowers”. The drama, which depicted the struggles of a girl in the volvitative working class intertwined with heirs rich in a private elite school, became a great feeling in all of Asia, making Barbie HSU a family name. Many fans still consider his representation of Shan Cai the best live adaptation of the original character.
During the 2000s, Barbie Hsu continued his career as an actor, with various films and dramas that embrace historical genres, fantasy, comedians and actions. While it was mainly associated with youth and innocent roles due to “Meteor Garden”, he showed a diversified acting range. In particular, in 2003, he played the lively ghost Nie Xiaoqian in “Eternity: in Chinese Ghost Story”, which offers a new version compared to the film version with Joey Wong. In 2004, he met with his co-protagonist of “Meteor Garden” Jerry Yan in the “Mars” melodrama, where he took on a darker and more melancholy role.
In 2010, he detached himself from his typical image by playing the Assassin Femme Fatale Ye Zhanqing in John Woo’s “Reign of Assassins”, with mutual alongside Jung Woo-Sung. He also appeared in various other projects, including the dramas “Say Yes Enterprise” and “Summer’s Desire”, as well as films such as “Connected” and “Future X-Cops”.
Barbie Hsu and Koo Jun-Yup: love, separation and meeting
With the progress of the years 2010, Barbie HSU’s career has slowed down. In 2011, he married the Chinese businessman Wang Xiaofii and focused on family life, moving away from the entertainment sector. Although he never officially announced his retirement, he had largely stopped acting at the end of 2010. In a reality show with his sister, he candidly revealed that he had fought with the limited roles available for 40 -year -old actresses, telling how He refused a mother’s role as a young star.
Health problems also played a significant role in the decline of his career. Barbie Hsu had been fragile from his youth and according to what reported had suffered from worsening of depression and epilepsy due to marital stress. In 2021, he divorced Wang Xiaofei and retired from public life for some time.
His name re-emerged in the titles of 2022 when he met with his former lover Koo Jun-Yup and announced their second possibility of love. Their meeting, which lasts two decades, fascinated the public in both Korea and Taiwan.
Koo Jun-Yup later he shared their love story about “You Quiz on the Block”, revealing that Barbie Hsu had been a fan of his clon group. They met for the first time in 1998 when Clon appeared in a Taiwan show hosted by Barbie Hsu and his sister. The two started dating but in the end they separated due to conservative opinions on celebrities at that time. Koo jun-yup later admitted, “I regretted it deeply and I felt sorry. Then I was a coward. “He also shared an emotional detail: that a Barbie Hsu jacket wore in” Meteor Garden “was actually a couple who had bought together during their relationship.
Despite the marriage and motherhood of Barbie HSU, Koo Jun-Yup has remained single up to 50 years. In 2021, after hearing about his divorce, he impulsively committed his old phone number, which, with his surprise, had never changed. Their phone call reaches their love, with Koo confessed, “After only a few conversations, I seemed to have returned to 20 years ago.“
Koo Jun-Yup: “National brother-in-law” by Taiwan
At the time, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Koo Jun-Yup and Barbie Hsu could not only continue to frequent each other through video calls. According to Taiwan quarantine policy, foreign citizens could only enter the country if they were family members of a local resident. As a result, Koo Jun-Yup proposed to Barbie Hsu as a way to get together with her, and accepted.
When Koo Jun-Yup announced his marriage to Barbie Hsu, he became a hot topic in both Korea and Taiwan. In Taiwan, the public was so enthusiastic that even his arrival process and quarantine was broadcast live. The local netizens have affectionately called him nicknames such as “Baldy” and “National brother -in -law”, showing their overwhelming support.
Later, Koo Jun-Yup surprised fans by publishing a video of his first meeting with Barbie HSU after 20 years. Remembering that emotional moment, he said, “When Barbie Hsu bravely embraced me first, I thought: “Yes, it’s that”.“His eyes set on fire while sharing his feelings. Their courageous embrace, overcoming 20 years of separation, nationality, distance and even pandemic, has deeply moved many people.
The couple officially recorded their marriage both in Korea and in Taiwan, becoming husband and wife. Over the past three years they have maintained their bond in pairs, receiving immense love and attention in both countries as an exemplary couple.
However, tragically, their happiness was short -lived. During the Lunar New Year holidays, Barbie HSU traveled to Japan with her family, but suddenly died of complications from pneumonia following the flu. His unexpected departure left Koo Jun-Yup and fans in shock and pain.
