Seo Hee-je, sister-in-law of Koo Jun-yup, returns to spotlight a year after Seo Hee-won's death: 'I dream of her almost every day'

Seo Hee-je, a popular Taiwanese broadcaster and sister-in-law of Korean singer Koo Jun-yup, has returned to public life nearly a year after the death of her older sister, the late Seo Hee-won.

Taiwan Vogue's official social media account published an interview with Seo on Tuesday, alongside photos of her as the cover model for the magazine's September issue.

"It has barely been a year since my sister left this world, so I think coming back now is still a little early," she said in the interview. "There are still many emotions inside me, but instead of staying home and grieving, I decided to be brave and face everything in front of the camera."

Seo said she still struggles to accept that her sister is gone. "I dream of her almost every day. In my dreams, we are filming shows together, taking photos, and living our ordinary lives just like before," she said.

"I don't think we should stop talking about someone just because they are gone, or deliberately avoid the subject," she added. "I hope everyone will remember my sister's warm and beautiful side for a long time."

Seo Hee-je and Seo Hee-won debuted together in 1994 as the sister duo SOS and rose to fame in Taiwan. Seo Hee-won became widely beloved for playing the female lead Shancai in "Meteor Garden," the Taiwanese adaptation of the hit drama series "Boys Over Flowers." Both sisters went on to build careers as actors and broadcasters, and in Chinese-speaking markets they are known by the nicknames "Big S" for Seo Hee-won and "Little S" for Seo Hee-je.

Koo and Seo Hee-won first met on a television program in 1998 and became a couple, but parted ways due to practical difficulties. Seo later married businessman Wang Xiaofei, divorced him in 2021, and reunited with Koo after more than two decades apart, marrying him in 2022.

Seo Hee-won died in February last year while on a family trip to Japan, after contracting influenza that led to pneumonia and sepsis. Koo was devastated, refusing to eat or drink, and was later seen visiting his wife's grave every day, drawing an outpouring of sympathy from the public.

More recently, the inheritance process was formally concluded when legal ownership of a luxury residence in Taipei — valued at around 20 billion won ($14.6 million), which Seo Hee-won had owned during her lifetime — was transferred in equal one-third shares to Koo and their two minor children.