Kim Sae-ron laid to rest, cause of death disclosed by authorities

South Korean actor Kim Sae-ron arrives at the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, April 5, 2023. (Yonhap via AP)

Kim Sae-ron was laid to rest on Wednesday, February 19, at an undisclosed location with her family and loved ones in attendance.

Kim was found dead at her home in eastern Seoul on Sunday, February 16, by a friend whom she was supposed to meet up with at around 4:50 p.m., Korean Time, which prompted them to alert the police.

A private funeral was held shortly, with fellow celebrities Won Bin, Han So-hee, Kim Bo-ra, AB6IX’s Woojin, and AKMU’s Lee Chan-hyuk and Lee Su-hyun in attendance, per a Yonhap report.

According to authorities, the 24-year-old actress’s death will be ruled a suicide, and there was no note left behind.

“We believe she made an extreme choice and plan to handle it as a suicide,” authorities were quoted as saying.

Born July 2000, Kim started her career as a child model a year later. She made her acting debut in the 2009 film “A Brand New Life” and gained nationwide acclaim for her lead role in “The Man from Nowhere” in 2010, which she starred in with Won.

The actress is also known for her lead roles in the Korean series “Hi! School: Love On,” “Queen’s Classroom,” “Secret Healer,” “The Great Shaman Ga Doo-shim,” and “Bloodhounds.” She also served as one of the hosts of the music show “Show! Music Core” in 2015 with Astro’s Cha Eun-woo, Kim Min-jae, and Lee Soo-min.

Her career took a hit in May 2022 after she was involved in a DUI incident in Gangnam District, Seoul, where she crashed into several structures, including a transformer that caused a power outage in 57 nearby stores. She apologized for the incident through a handwritten letter soon after.

Six months after the incident, Kim’s former agency Goldmedalist confirmed that she took a part-time job due to “financial difficulties,” following reports that she used the money she earned throughout her career to cover the settlement expenses for the incident. It was later confirmed that she decided to not renew her contract with Goldmedalist in December 2022.

In March 2023, Kim was fined ₩20 million by the Seoul Central District Court, although she appealed for leniency due to financial difficulties.

Three years after her DUI incident, a report from South Korean media outlet Kukmin Ilbo said the actress personally apologized to every affected establishment and compensated for the damages.