Wife of former special minister Ko Heung-gil dies; funeral set for Oct 7
In short
Im Hyeon-bin, a former teacher at Joongang Girls' High School and the wife of former special minister Ko Heung-gil, died on Oct 4, according to obituary notices from Yonhap and Hankook Ilbo. Her children listed in the notices include Ko Jung-seon, a Hyundai Motor managing director for management strategy, and Ko Hye-won and Ko Hye-shin. Hankook Ilbo's notice says she died at 07:00 at Seoul Asan Medical Center, with the funeral procession set for 06:40 on Oct 7.
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Im Hyeon-bin, a former teacher at Joongang Girls' High School, died on Oct 4, according to obituary notices published by Yonhap and Hankook Ilbo. The notices say she was the wife of Ko Heung-gil, a former special minister and former editorial director of JoongAng Ilbo. Her children listed in the notices include Ko Jung-seon, a managing director in charge of management strategy at Hyundai Motor, and Ko Hye-won and Ko Hye-shin. [ 1 , 2 ]
Hankook Ilbo's notice, the fuller of the two, says she died at 07:00 at Seoul Asan Medical Center and gives a funeral procession at 06:40 on Oct 7, with contact number (02)3010-2292. It also names Park Byeong-ho, a KAIST professor of management engineering, and Kim Ki-hyeon of the patent firm Gasan as her sons-in-law. The notice ran in an obituary column alongside three unrelated death notices. Yonhap's version appeared in its feed without a time, place or funeral details. [ 1 , 2 ]
Why it matters
The death was reported as an obituary notice rather than a news story, and both documents treat it as a private family matter. Its wider notice comes from the public roles of her relatives: her husband is a former special minister and former newspaper editor, and her son is a senior executive at Hyundai Motor. Beyond those family details, the documents give no basis for broader significance.
Key facts
- Im Hyeon-bin, a former teacher at Joongang Girls' High School, died on Oct 4. [ 1 , 2 ]
- She was the wife of Ko Heung-gil, a former special minister and former editorial director of JoongAng Ilbo. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Her children are Ko Jung-seon, Ko Hye-won and Ko Hye-shin; Ko Jung-seon is a managing director in charge of management strategy at Hyundai Motor. [ 1 , 2 ]
- According to Hankook Ilbo's notice, she died at 07:00 at Seoul Asan Medical Center. [ 2 ]
- The funeral procession is set for 06:40 on Oct 7, according to Hankook Ilbo. [ 2 ]
- Hankook Ilbo lists Park Byeong-ho, a KAIST professor of management engineering, and Kim Ki-hyeon of the patent firm Gasan as sons-in-law of the deceased. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Im Hyeon-bin, a former teacher at Joongang Girls' High School, died on Oct 4. [ 1 , 2 ]
- She was the wife of Ko Heung-gil, a former special minister and former editorial director of JoongAng Ilbo. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Her children include Ko Jung-seon, a Hyundai Motor managing director for management strategy, and Ko Hye-won and Ko Hye-shin. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- The cause of death Neither document states a cause of death or any further circumstances.
- The full list of surviving relatives and in-laws Yonhap's notice is truncated in the feed, and only Hankook Ilbo names the sons-in-law, so that part rests on a single source.