Late influencer Lee Ju-hee died of cardiac arrest, husband says, urging public to stop speculation

The husband of the late Lee Ju-hee, a first-generation influencer who died at 43, has asked the public to stop spreading speculation about her death.

He posted a message to that effect on the deceased's social media account.

"We gave our Ju-hee a warm and loving farewell," he wrote. "I am deeply grateful to everyone who shared in our grief and sent sincere words of comfort and condolence despite their busy schedules."

"Our daughter and I will lean on each other and do our best to live in a way that makes the absence of a mother and wife a little easier to bear," he said. "We are still struggling through each day, finding it hard to accept such a sudden loss."

He said the family had been hurt further by the circumstances surrounding her death. "Unfounded speculation and rumors about my wife's sudden cardiac arrest continue to circulate, causing our family — already deep in grief — additional pain," he wrote.

"We are already going through more than we can bear from this sudden loss alone," he went on to say. "For the sake of the deceased's honor and the family she has left behind, I earnestly ask that you refrain from unverified stories and speculative remarks."

"What our family needs most right now is not baseless stories or guesswork, but warm hearts and consideration that remember the deceased in peace," he said, closing the post with a request that people "remember our Ju-hee for her beautiful self."

Lee was known as a pioneer of the early online content market and one of Korea's first-generation influencers. She had launched the fashion brand Abv Collection in 2019 and was still running it at the time of her death. News of her passing on June 24 left many saddened.