The late Seo Se-won, domestic violence, coin debt... ‘Suspicious death’

The late comedian and businessman Seo Se-won has passed away. Age 67. He lived the life of a star broadcaster and a successful businessman. Seo Se-won, who, contrary to her pretentious external life, was also subject to controversy due to domestic violence and gambling. Leaving behind a life full of controversies, I enjoyed a peaceful sleep.

The deceased's funeral was held at the Asan Hospital funeral hall in Pungnap 2-dong, Seoul around 8 am on the 2nd. The emcee was fellow broadcaster Kim Hak-rae, and the memorial address was delivered by Eom Young-soo, president of the Korea Broadcasting Comedians Association.

The eldest daughter, Seo Dong-ju, saw off her father for the last time. Although he had not been in contact with the deceased for eight years, immediately after receiving the news of his death, he oversaw the funeral and placed his name in the funeral rites.

Seo Se-won is a person with a divided reputation as a pop star. He became a successful businessman after producing ‘Gangster Wife’ in 2001, which was a box office success. He continued to transform himself into a real estate businessman, including becoming a pastor and selling townhouses.

Seo Se-won gave birth to one son and one daughter with his ex-wife, Seo Jeong-hoe. He and Seo Jeong-hee divorced by agreement in 2015. The reason was ‘domestic violence’. The video of Seo Jeong-hee's assault that was released at the time shocked people. It was revealed that he had abused his wife for decades. Seo Se-won was sentenced to six months in prison and two years of probation.

After the domestic violence became known, he headed to Cambodia. This is because a complex project worth around 3 trillion won ($2.5 billion) was prepared in Cambodia. It is known to be a large-scale construction project that includes the construction of the CSTV new building (Cambodia's national sports TV) and a casino golf resort. However, the authenticity of this project was questioned.

It was news of his sudden death who had dreamed of a business revival. This is why there is a lot of speculation about what life was like in Cambodia and the exact cause of death.

In particular, controversy arose when the bereaved family stated, "We were issued a death certificate listing the results of an autopsy showing that the person died from cardiac arrest due to diabetes, but due to various circumstances, we were unable to easily understand the cause of death."

In addition, "In order to accurately determine the cause of death, we requested the Cambodian police through the Korean embassy to analyze the ingredients of the IV collected at the scene, interview the Cambodian police officer and person in charge who investigated the case, return the items found at the scene of the incident, and request the collected items. "We requested a list. However, the Cambodian police said they would hand over the collected items at any time through the Korean Embassy, but they kept putting it off, citing different reasons every time."

In relation to the bereaved family's claims, speculations emerged, including the theory that the deceased was struggling in life and the propofol theory. Additionally, creditor A, who claimed to have lent investment money to the deceased while alive, came to the mortuary.

In an interview with a media outlet, Mr. A complained of frustration, saying, "It's already been two years since the deceased said he would repay the bond amount. Although some of it was repaid, I did not receive the remaining amount." It is known that Mr. A spoke with the bereaved family. However, the bereaved family's position on this has not been revealed.

Even after his death, the deceased's private life is receiving a lot of criticism. The controversies left behind by the deceased became the responsibility of the bereaved family to resolve. This is Seo Se-won, who cut off ties with his family during his lifetime. Although he is a person who has made people laugh for decades, it is unfortunate that no one is seen to see him off brightly on his final journey.

Reporter Junho Yoon, Ten Asia delo410@tenasia.co.kr