South Korean Man Weeps After Using VR to ‘Meet’ Late Wife Again

With the help of virtual reality (VR), a South Korean man “reunites” with his wife four years after her death.

The power of VR: Last year, Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) released a TV documentary entitled 너를 만났다 (“I Met You”).

The documentary shows reunions between South Koreans and their deceased loved ones through VR technology.
The first season of the documentary tells the story of Jang Ji-sung, a mother who “meets” Nayeon, her 7-year-old daughter, once more. Nayeon passed away due to a rare disease called hemochromatosis in 2016.

Husband and wife reunited: Kim Jung-soo, 57, is featured in the second season of the TV documentary, according to AsiaOne via theAsianparent.

Kim’s wife passed away due to a serious illness, leaving Kim to raise their five children on his own.
MBC spent six months preparing for Kim’s immersive experience to make it as believable as possible. For example, an actor was hired to imitate Kim’s wife’s voice.
Kim shared that his only wish in life was to see “even just [his] wife’s shadow, one more time.”

Opposition from the family: In the documentary, Kim’s children express their different views regarding their father’s wish.

Kim’s second daughter, Jong-yun, supported Kim after hearing about his wish. In one scene of the documentary, she recalls tender moments between her parents.
“He would kiss her from time to time when working, when eating, or when watching TV. Even when my mother was sick and lost her hair, my father would say that she was pretty and carried her around.”
On the other hand, Kim’s eldest daughter, Jong-bin, did not support her father at first. She believed he would struggle to move on from the past if he “met” his wife one last time.

Kim spoke with his children until they all understood his need to be featured in the documentary.
“‘It is my last wish,’ he said, that’s why we decided to allow him to meet Mum again,” Jong-bin explained.
Various clips of the documentary have been uploaded to YouTube. In one of the clips, Kim’s children burst into tears as they watch their father using VR to “see” his wife. “Are you not in pain anymore?” he asks her.

Feature Image via MBClife

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