"The late Choi Jin-sil's daughter" Choi Jun-hee, ahead of her wedding, had a video released showing the late Choi Jin-sil celebrating her daughter Jun-hee's first birthday, which moved viewers to tears.
Earlier, five days before the wedding, Choi Jun-hee uploaded a long post and videos of her mother, the late Choi Jin-sil, from when she was alive to her personal social media.
She said, "I finally restored the video of my first birthday that grandmother had kept until now," adding, "but the timing is really strange. In the video, mom says with a smile, 'To everyone who came today, I will definitely invite you again when our Su-min gets married, so please stay healthy for a long time~,' and it was really amazing and moving that the people who were at that event are now waiting for my wedding," she said.
She continued, "But on the other hand, the saddest thing is that mom and dad are the only ones not at all those events. The more I prepare for the wedding, the more various emotions seem to surface for no reason," adding, "Actually, a lot happened during preparations, and there were many rumors and tabloid-like stories, so all the families prepared for the wedding amid hard times, but for me this one video was enough. It felt like it contained how I was raised with love and the feelings I have lived with until now," she conveyed sincerely.
Choi Jun-hee said, "Now there's really not much time left, so I'm excited, nervous and unexpectedly moved. I'm so nervous," adding, "And as a tmi, did you know my original name was Jo Su-min? Jun-hee suits me much better, right?"
The released video contains scenes from Choi Jun-hee's first birthday party held in 2004. Hwanhee, who was loved and raised by mother Choi Jin-sil and father Jo Seong-min, toddled around, and Jun-hee, now celebrating her first birthday, appeared cute in her mother's arms. At the time, Choi Jin-sil and Jo Seong-min warmly greeted acquaintances who attended the first birthday party, and at the same time cared for the siblings Hwanhee and Jun-hee, holding a happy celebration.
Especially, Choi Jin-sil walked forward holding Jun-hee in her arms and said with a bright smile, "I hope everyone will continue to show interest and love to our Su-min not only today but continuously so she can grow up healthy and become a lovely young woman," adding, "My heart is so full right now, and I'm very grateful. And later, I will remember each and every person who came to this event and invite them again when our Su-min gets married. Live long until then."
Choi Jin-sil, who said, "I will invite Su-min (Jun-hee) when she gets married," tragically went to the afterlife first. At the wedding, Choi Jun-hee walked in holding her brother Choi Hwan-hee's hand without their parents present. Choi Hwan-hee agreed to act as the family head for the wedding in place of their deceased parents.
The top star of the time, once called a "national actress," Choi Jin-sil married younger baseball player Jo Seong-min in December 2000 and built a happy family with son Hwanhee in 2001 and daughter Jun-hee in 2003. However, conflicts and discord deepened between the couple, and they ultimately divorced in 2004.
But the misfortune did not end there. Choi Jin-sil was found dead at her home in 2008, shocking the public. Later, her younger brother Choi Jin-young, who had a particularly close relationship with his older sister, suddenly passed away in 2010, and three years later in 2013 news of the death of ex-husband Jo Seong-min was reported. It was a succession of tragedies that struck one family.
Thus the siblings Hwanhee and Jun-hee grew up under the eyes of the entire nation, and the words "cheer up, we support you" also contained the meaning "please live well." Of course there was a "Choi Jin-sil premium" they received for being Choi Jin-sil's children, but it is true that there was a strong wish of "please grow up well" that could not be easily voiced.
On Channel A's "Oh Eun-young's Golden Counseling" in 2021, Choi Hwan-hee confessed, "People say things like 'cheer up, grow up to be a good person.' It's nice to receive support, but I wish they'd stop watching me now," adding that his mother Choi Jin-sil's death is a painful memory but something he can speak about calmly.
Listening to this, Dr. Oh Eun-young said, "Hwanhee seems to have a good personality and artistic talent," while also diagnosing, "Frankly, there is a mother premium. Usually you have to come up from lower levels, but many people vividly remember the pain Hwanhee experienced. Still, he is healthier than expected."
Above all, Dr. Oh said, "What is the true meaning when people tell someone to cheer up? It's the message 'don't die, live well.' Telling someone to live righteously means that life is precious, so even if you feel stressed you should endure to the end," adding, "She seems to have bid farewell to her mother healthily, but the public projects their feelings toward the deceased as a form of fighting support," giving heartfelt advice. Dr. Oh's remarks at the time applied to both siblings Hwanhee and Jun-hee.
Choi Jun-hee, who looks exactly like her mother Choi Jin-sil and will soon marry in a wedding dress, still moves many who miss the deceased, and the first birthday video showing the all-too-brief mother-and-daughter two-shot evokes an even deeper, hollow emotion and brings tears.
[Photos] OSEN DB, Choi Jun-hee SNS, capture from "Oh Eun-young's Golden Counseling"
[OSEN]