TAIPEI (TVBS News) — DJ Koo will return to Taiwan with the ashes of his late wife, Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛), on Thursday (Feb. 6), as reported by Nextapple News (壹蘋新聞網) on Tuesday. Dee Hsu (徐熙娣), Barbie Hsu's sister, will accompany him.
Barbie Hsu died at 48 during a family trip to Japan over the Lunar New Year holiday following flu complications that led to pneumonia.
Japanese regulations necessitated a swift cremation within three days, using dry ice to preserve the body. The focus now shifts to how the family will return the ashes to Taiwan. According to industry sources, EVA Air (長榮), China Airlines (華航), and STARLUX Airlines (星宇) allow passengers to carry urns onboard rather than shipping them as cargo.
Families can purchase a "cabin seat baggage" for the urn, ensuring it travels securely in the passenger cabin under the care of relatives.
Due to the inability to use a deceased person's passport as identification, families must present a death certificate, cremation permit, and translated documents at customs.
Additionally, experts advise that some countries may require urn inspection, which means the urn must not be completely sealed to ensure smooth customs clearance.