Late Kim Soo-mi’s Heartfelt Love for Her Daughter-in-Law “I’ll Give You a House, So If It Gets Tough, Just Divorce”

These heart-wrenching cries from her daughter-in-law left everyone in the room emotional. The late actress Kim Soo-mi and her daughter-in-law Seo Hyo-rim, who shared a deep bond both as fellow actresses and family, had a moving farewell.

On the morning of Oct 27th, the funeral for actress Kim Soo-mi was held at 11 AM at Hanyang University Hospital in Seongdong-gu, Seoul. Family members and close celebrity friends, who had cherished the late Kim Soo-mi, gathered to bid their final farewell. Seo Hyo-rim’s tears as she said goodbye to her mother-in-law deeply moved many. Seo Hyo-rim had always called Kim Soo-mi “Mom”.

Seo Hyo-rim married Kim Soo-mi’s son Jung Myung-ho, CEO of Napalkkot F&B, in 2019 and they have a daughter together. It was known that during her life, Kim Soo-mi treated Seo Hyo-rim not just as a daughter-in-law but with true affection, valuing her as an individual. The two were so close that they would often have lengthy conversations, sometimes lasting two hours. Seo Hyo-rim once shared, “I was close to my mother-in-law even before marriage. We’d even talk about my ex-boyfriends. We got along well because we had similar tastes.”

Kim Soo-mi made headlines when it was revealed that she had gifted a house to Seo Hyo-rim. On a broadcast, Kim Soo-mi explained, “Two years after my daughter-in-law got married, my son (Jung Myung-ho) was somehow implicated in a fraud case in the media, but he was later cleared of any wrongdoing. I was worried that my daughter-in-law might be hurt, so I gave her my house.”

She added, “If things ever changed and they divorced, my daughter-in-law would only get 50 million won in legal compensation, so I wanted her to be able to live comfortably with her child with that money. It was a conversation between two human beings. Of course, that was a hypothetical situation. Now they are living very happily. The way I was treated by my mother-in-law, I’m now doing the same for my daughter-in-law.” Kim Soo-mi had always vowed to give her daughter-in-law the same love she received from her own mother-in-law.

It is well known that Kim Soo-mi had a special relationship with her mother-in-law as well. After losing her parents early and experiencing a failed marriage, Kim Soo-mi met her current husband. Three years into their relationship, she decided to marry him, deeply moved by the character of her future mother-in-law. Kim Soo-mi recalled her mother-in-law saying “You must have had a tough time growing up without parents. Your forehead shows that you are full of affection”, comforting her at a time when she was deeply hurt.

Despite the love from her mother-in-law, Kim Soo-mi also went through a lot of hardships because of her husband. She remembered her mother-in-law saying, “He was raised too delicately because he was an only child born after a lot of hardships. He’s immature, so please save him.” Reflecting on this, Kim Soo-mi said, “I thought she was being modest, but my husband really was immature in the early years of our marriage.“

Eventually, Kim Soo-mi’s mother-in-law even advised her to divorce. Kim Soo-mi shared, “Before I had my second child, my mother-in-law said ‘Soo-mi, it’s hopeless. You should divorce. I’ll make sure you never have to beg for a living, even if you quit the entertainment industry’ and gave me a building in Sinsa-dong in my name. She also said, ‘While you’re still young, find someone good and live happily. I’m sorry.’ But I told her, ‘Mom, I can’t leave you. I want to live with you.’”

Kim Soo-mi later lost her mother-in-law in a suspected sudden acceleration car accident, which led to a very difficult time for her. She recalled that on that day, her new car had been parked, and when her driver started the car, it suddenly shot backward. Her mother-in-law, who was putting up posters for Kim Soo-mi’s play on the house wall, was hit by the car. The tragedy left Kim Soo-mi in shock, and she even considered turning to Buddhism. She mourned for three years but never forgot the love she had received from her mother-in-law, which she passed on to her daughter-in-law.

Kim Soo-mi, known for her magnanimous personality, showed that same spirit when interacting with Seo Hyo-rim. Seo Hyo-rim once shared “When we were just colleagues, she’d jokingly say, ‘Who would want to marry someone like you?’”, to which Kim Soo-mi added “I said, ‘Who would take in someone like you?’“, making everyone laugh. Seo Hyo-rim also revealed, “She’d even tell male actors around her not to approach me, saying it would ruin their lives.”

Kim Soo-mi, who approached Seo Hyo-rim like a close older sister, said, “Whenever we meet, we talk about clothes. We ask each other ‘Where did you get those jeans?’ and even try them on. Seo Hyo-rim has long legs, but we wear the same size. If I ask for her clothes, she says ‘Mom, you can’t have these pants’, but then she’d buy me new ones for my birthday.” The love they shared remains even after her passing.

Kim Soo-mi passed away on the morning of Oct 25th at the age of 75. The cause of death was cardiac arrest due to hyperglycemic shock. Her burial site is at Honor Stone, Yongin.

Source: Daum