Former child actress Kim Sae-ron dies at 24

Kim Sae-ron. Image: Instagram/@ron_sae

Kim Sae-ron, a former child actress who starred as the lead in the hit K-drama “Hi! School-Love On” has died. She was 24 years old.

The actress was found dead in her home in Seoul, South Korea at around 4:50 p.m., Korean Time on Sunday, February 16, a report from the Seoul Seongdong Police Station said, via a report from the Korean media outlet The JoongAng and The Korea Herald.

Korean media outlets reported that Kim’s body was discovered by a friend whom she promised to meet up with, although authorities are “investigating the exact circumstances” leading up to her death. There were no signs of a break-in at her home, authorities added.

“We kindly ask for consideration of the deceased and the bereaved family and that you refrain from speculating about the specific circumstances and manner of death. We ask for your understanding that the police cannot confirm,” a source from the Seoul Seongdong Police Station said, per a Soompi translation.

In May 2022, Kim was involved in a driving under the influence incident in Gangnam District in Seoul at around 8:00 a.m., Korean time. Reports said the actress crashed into structures including street trees and guard rails.

This led to the actress saying will “take responsibility” for the incident through a statement from the South Korean agency Goldmedalist.

Seven months later, Goldmedalist confirmed that Kim decided to not renew her exclusive contract.

Kim started her entertainment career at nine years old when she took on the lead role in the 2009 film “A Brand New Life.” She also took on the younger versions of K-drama lead actresses such as Shin Se-kyung and Choi Kang-hee in “Fashion King” and “Glamorous Temptation,” respectively.

She was also the lead actress in the K-dramas “Hi! School: Love On,” “Secret Healer,” “Bloodhounds,” and “The Great Shaman Ga Doo-shim,” to name a few.