12.05.2025 17:21
Kim Eunja, a Korean known as the hero of a true story featured in the film 'Ayla,' passed away at the hospital in Incheon where she was receiving treatment. Kim, who lost her life due to health issues that developed after contracting COVID-19 in 2022, never lost her love for Turkey until her last moments.
The story of Kim Eunja, a Korean woman whose life was brought to the big screen by the film "Ayla," has passed away. According to a written statement from Turkey's Embassy in Seoul, Kim, who lived in Incheon near Seoul with her children and grandchildren, developed pneumonia after contracting COVID-19 in 2022. Kim, who was also under the protection of the Ministry of Korean Veterans and Patriots, had been receiving treatment at the Elderly Care Service of Songdo Hana Hospital near Incheon for some time.
Recently diagnosed with dementia, Kim succumbed to pneumonia again and passed away yesterday. Kim, who never lost her love for Turkey until her last moments, was frequently visited by Turkey's Embassy in Seoul. Following the news of her death, Turkey's Ambassador to Seoul, Murat Tamer, visited the funeral home to convey his condolences to Kim's family. The film "Ayla," adapted from a true story, tells the tale of Sergeant Süleyman Dilbirliği, who took care of a five-year-old girl named Ayla, whom he found abandoned during the Korean War.