South Korean Actress Kim Sae-ron Found Dead at 24, Sparking Mental Health Conversations
South Korean actress Kim Sae-ron was tragically discovered dead at her residence in Seoul on Sunday, nearly two years after stepping back from the limelight following a DUI conviction. She was just 24 years old. According to police reports, her body was found by a friend, and there’s currently no evidence of foul play. Authorities are examining the details surrounding her death, a police official informed CNN.
Kim launched her acting career as a child and quickly rose to fame, even attending the Cannes Film Festival for her portrayal of an orphaned girl in the 2009 film “A Brand New Life.” She further captivated audiences in the 2010 action thriller “The Man from Nowhere,” the 2012 mystery “The Neighbors,” and the 2014 drama “A Girl at My Door,” among other film and TV roles. However, her career hit a setback in April 2023 when a Seoul court convicted her of drunk driving—a mishap that led to a car crash in the South Korean capital the previous year. Although she avoided jail time, she was fined around $14,000. Her last appearance was in Netflix’s 2023 K-drama “Bloodhounds.”
Kim’s Instagram account’s final post, a photograph of herself uploaded in January, received over 205,000 likes, though comments remain disabled. The news of her death prompted heartfelt tributes from fellow Korean celebrities. “May you rest in peace,” actor Kim Ok-bin expressed on Instagram, accompanied by a white chrysanthemum image, symbolizing mourning in many Asian cultures. Her co-star Kim Min-che shared a touching scene from “The Neighbors” on Instagram, expressing, “I was so happy to meet you as my daughter in the movie. May you rest in peace.”
The recent deaths of burgeoning K-pop idols and K-drama performers have cast a spotlight on the mental health challenges and pressures within South Korea’s entertainment industry. Last November, K-drama star Song Jae-lim, a former model, was found dead in his apartment at 39, while ASTRO member Moonbin passed away last year at 25. The entertainment world also mourned the loss of K-pop singer and actress Sulli at 25 in 2019 and SHINee’s boyband member Kim Jong-hyun, who was found dead at 27 in 2017. Although entertainment agencies have introduced various mental health support initiatives, including counseling and more adaptable schedules, experts indicate that the industry’s high competitiveness, mixed with rigorous public scrutiny and expectations of perfection, continues to impact artists deeply.