"Mom, I Missed You" - A Mother Reunites with Her Daughter Who Passed Away in Virtual Reality

/Photo by MBC Special 'I Met You' capture

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Yeon-ju] A story of a mother who reunited with her daughter, who passed away from blood cancer, in virtual reality (VR) touched many hearts.

In the MBC Special feature - VR Human Documentary "I Met You," aired on the 6th, the scene of mother Jang Ji-sung reuniting with her daughter Nayeon, who left first, in virtual reality was depicted.

On the broadcast that day, Jang said, recalling Nayeon, "I am afraid of forgetting," and added, "I worry whether I will be able to remember Nayeon as my forgetfulness worsens."

According to the broadcast, among the four siblings, the third child Nayeon, who was the healthiest, passed away at the young age of seven due to blood cancer.

Jang expressed her longing, saying, "While driving, I looked up at the sky and saw Nayeon sleeping above the clouds in my eyes," and "On clear days, the sky is clear, and on cloudy days, it is cloudy, so I remember Nayeon."

The broadcast showed domestic VR technicians stepping up to facilitate the meeting between Jang and Nayeon. The MBC production team analyzed videos of Nayeon’s life, studying her gestures, voice, and speech patterns, and attempted to recreate her using motion capture technology.

Wearing VR equipment, Jang entered the virtual world to meet Nayeon. With a voice shouting "Mom," Nayeon ran toward Jang. Jang burst into tears as soon as she saw Nayeon.

Nayeon said, "Mom, I missed you," and Jang replied, "I missed you a lot too. I wanted to hug you," trying to embrace Nayeon.

Photo by MBC Special 'I Met You' capture

The mother and daughter met in virtual reality, talked, and held a birthday party. For her birthday wish, Nayeon said, "Please make mom not cry," and Jang promised, "I will."

At the end of their meeting, Nayeon turned into a butterfly and flew away. Jang watched the butterfly flying away until the very end.

Jang revealed that although it was VR, she received comfort and healing through the meeting with Nayeon. She said, "It felt different from being with Nayeon, but the way she jumped far, lay down, and sat was similar," and shared her feelings about the reunion, "It was good because Nayeon suddenly appeared."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.