Grandmother Kang Gye-yeol, who appeared in the film "My Love, Don't Cross That River," died on the 10th at age 102.
Director Jin Mo-young, who directed the film, said on Facebook that day, "Grandmother Kang Gye-yeol, the film's protagonist, left this afternoon." He added, "She looked like a girl the first day I met her, on Sept. 9, 2012, and that girl turned 100 and crossed the river," and wrote, "She went to the side of Grandfather Cho Byeong-man, whom she loved. Grandmother, rest in peace."
Born in 1924 in Pyeongchang, the deceased grew up in Hoengseong. At 14, she met and married her husband, Cho Byeong-man, who was nine years older. The couple's story, known for their deep affection, first came to light in 2010 through local media coverage and was later widely introduced to the public via broadcast programs. After her husband died in 2013, the documentary film "My Love, Don't Cross That River," which captured the couple's life and parting, was released in 2014 and stirred a major response. The work drew 4.8 million viewers, setting the all-time box-office record for an independent film.
In 2019, the deceased appeared on a YouTube channel and conveyed longing for her husband. She revealed deep affection by saying, "My husband never spoke down to me," and, "When I think of him at night, I cry until my blanket and pillow are soaked."
The wake has been set up at the Wonju Medical Center funeral hall, and the funeral is on the morning of the 12th. The burial site is the family graves in Cheongil-myeon, Hoengseong County.