The Hallyu community was shaken by the news of actor Kim Joo-hyuk's passing away on October 30. He was involved in a car accident. His girlfriend, actress Lee Yoo-young has been deeply affected by this sudden loss. She also hadn't had a single meal since she found out her boyfriend was no more. Also, SBS has released Kim Joo-hyuk's very last interview.
As noted by website Allkpop, Lee Yoo-young's agency Poongkyung Entertainment revealed on October 31 that she was in a state of deep sadness and had been unable to have a meal since learning of Kim Joo-hyuk's death. The actress has been mourning with Kim Joo-hyuk's family at the Asan Medical Centre mortuary. She was seen walking in with her hands over her mouth.
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Celebrities like Choi Min-sik, Yoo Jun-sang, Ryul Joon-yeol, Kim Ji-soo and Park Seo-joon attended the mortuary along with '2 days & 1 Night' members Cha Tae-hyun and rapper Defconn. The latter, noted Allkpop, appeared utterly distressed and was seen crying heavily as he arrived at the mortuary.
'Running Man' members Yoo Jae-suk, Song Ji-hyo, Kim Jong-kook, Lee Kwang-soo, Ji Suk-jin and HaHa visited the mortuary. So did members of '2 days & 1 Night,' including Cha Tae-hyun.
It was also revealed that a public mortuary of the late actor would be established for fans and the general public. "We're looking to set up a public mortuary so that fans and the public can express their condolences," director Namoo Actors agency Lee Seok-jun revealed on October 31.
Lee Yoo-young was filming for an episode of the SBS variety show 'Running Man' in Busan, when she heard her boyfriend had passed away. She was in a state of disbelief and shock and repeatedly asked if the news was true. Filming was halted and she left for Seoul.
On October 30, at around 4.30 p.m. KST, Kim Joo-hyuk was involved in a traffic collision. Black box footage from another car revealed Kim Joo-hyuk's Jeep-like Mercedez-Benz SUV hitting another vehicle, near an apartment complex in the affluent Samseong-dong neighbourhood in Seoul.
The actor's vehicle then suddenly steered right and accelerated towards an apartment complex building at an alarmingly high speed and crashed into its wall. The SUV then tumbled down the stairs of the complex, where it caught fire. Kim Joo-hyuk's residence at Cheongdam-dong was only three minutes away from the accident site.
Kim Joo-hyuk was pulled out of the vehicle at around 5.07 p.m. and taken to Konkuk University Medical Center, where he passed away around 6.30 p.m. The police and the Konkuk University Medical center felt it was a heart attack, which led him to lose control of his car, causing the accident.
The police later released the autopsy results which revealed that the cause of Kim Joo-hyuk's death was severe head injury and that there were no signs of a heart attack. However, Police said they will need to conduct tissue examination in order to determine the exact cause of death and determine whether drug or alcohol consumption played a part. The results will be reportedly available in about a week.
Lee Yoo-young and Kim Joo-hyuk had met on the sets of the 2016 movie, 'Yourself and Yours,' directed by Hong Sang-soo. They got close by virtue of having shared passions and interests. They began publicly dating from December, last year. In an interview Kim Joo-hyuk had revealed his desire to marry Yoo-young and also wanting a daughter.
Many celebrities publicly expressed condolences to Kim Joo-hyuk's passing. Some even cancelled their programs and movie premieres in memory of their departed friend. The reality-variety show from KBS, '2 days & 1 Night,' of which Joo-hyuk was a regular member, released a statement that read, "There is no sufficient way to express the grief that all the [past and present] cast members and staff feel at the shocking and sad news regarding our everlasting member Kim Joo-hyuk." They added, "We offer our sincerest condolences from the bottom of our hearts."
Meanwhile, SBS also released Kim Joo-hyuk's final interview, taken just three days prior to his passing. On October 31, the interview, which was held after 'The Seoul Awards' ceremony wrapped, was aired by SBS' 'One Night of TV Entertainment.' In it, the late actor appears happy and contented at winning 'Best Supporting Actor' for 'Confidential Assignment.'
Kim Joo-hyuk said, "I'm happy. I'm so thankful to be given the award as this means many people gave love and approved of my role." He had added excitedly, "Everyone, I've been awarded 'Best Supporting Actor.'" This was the actor's first and only award for an acting role.
At this difficult time, fans and people are praying for Lee Yoo-young and the family of Kim Joo-hyuk. The funeral procession was scheduled to take place on November 2.
