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Late South Korean actress, Kim Sae Ron, 24, reportedly owed her ex-agency S$652,000 before death
RIP.
February 19, 2025, 06:59 PM
Late South Korean actress Kim Sae Ron reportedly owed 700 million won (about S$652,000) to her former agency, Gold Medalist, before she died, according to a report by alkpop.
Kim passed away on Feb. 16, 2025, at the age of 24.
The 24-year-old was found dead in her home by a friend at around 4:55pm (Korea time), reported The Korea Herald and The Korea Times.
Photo from @ron_sae on Instagram
Cause of debt
On May 18, 2022, Kim had her acting career disrupted by a drunk driving incident.
The Korea Times reported that she crashed her vehicle into a roadside electrical transformer in Seoul, resulting in a temporary power outage.
She had to pay compensation claims to the local businesses she affected after the power outage, according to alkpop.
Due to the incident, Kim breached her advertisement and contract agreements with Gold Medalist and had to pay significant penalties.
She also posted an apology letter on her Instagram on May 19, 2022, acknowledging the damage she had caused.
Photo from @ron_sae on Instagram
In December 2022, Kim's contract with Gold Medalist expired.
The actress had reportedly assured the agency that she would pay back her debt.
However, she struggled to keep her acting roles after the incident and was dropped from several dramas.
She was also heavily edited out of her then-latest project, the Korean drama series, "Bloodhounds".
She struggled to pay back her debt and had to work several part-time jobs, including at a cafe, according to alkpop.
She was unable to repay her agency before she passed away.
Helplines
If you or someone you know are in mental distress, here are some hotlines you can call to seek help, advice, or just a listening ear:
SOS 24-hour Hotline: 1-767
Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019
Institute of Mental Health: 6389-2222 (24 hours)
Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788 (for primary school-aged children)
SHECARES@SCWO: Call: 8001 01 4616 | WhatsApp: 6571 4400 (for targets of online harms)
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Photo from @ron_sae on Instagram
