On February 17th, at the funeral hall of the late Kim Sae-ron at Seoul Asan Medical Center in Songpa-gu, Seoul, a wreath was placed by actor Won Bin, who worked with her in the movie “The Man from Nowhere,” and his wife Lee Na-young.
The funeral of Kim Sae-ron was later held on February 6:20 AM (KST) on February 19th. As the coffin was carried into the hearse, her family and close acquaintances broke into tears.
Prior to that, on the 18th, broadcaster Hong Seok-cheon said his final goodbyes to the late Kim Sae-ron by posting a photo on his Instagram with the caption, “Rest in peace, Sae-ron”.
He expressed his regret by saying, “I have come to say goodbye to my younger sister for the last time. Please send her off quietly now.” The broadcaster had previously left a message of condolence after the sad news, saying, “She was such a pretty child. I hope she’s not in pain there either. I hope she rests in peace.”
Actress Kim Bo-ra, who was known to be a close friend in the entertainment industry, also sent a condolence wreath with the message, “When we meet again, I’ll nagging you less,” and FT Island and actor Gong Myung also sent condolence wreaths to bid the deceased farewell.
Afterwards, actress Kim Ok-bin expressed her condolences following the tragic news of Kim Sae-ron’s passing. She shared a message on her social media, writing, “May she rest in peace,” alongside an image of a black background and a chrysanthemum flower, a symbol of mourning in Korea.
Though she did not explicitly mention a name, the timing of the post strongly suggests that it was in tribute to Kim Sae-ron, whose sudden death had shocked the entertainment industry that day.
Actor Kim Min-chae, who co-starred with Kim Sae-ron in the 2018 film The Villagers, also shared on social media, saying, “I was so happy to have met you as my daughter in ‘The Villagers’. May you rest in peace.”
Actors Seo Ha-joon, Seo Ye-ji, Seol In-ah and singer Jun Hyo-seong also joined in the tribute by posting photos of chrysanthemums on their SNS.
Actress Park Seul-gi posted a picture of a chrysanthemum along with the message, “I hope you rest in peace without suffering… I pray for your soul’s peace.”
Additionally, former FIESTAR member and singer Yezi expressed her sorrow, saying, “This is so heartbreaking. The few times I met her, she was a loyal and kind friend. Tonight will be a long night.” Kim Sae-ron had previously worked as an MC on MBC TV’s “Show! Music Core”.
Kim Sae-ron’s former agency, Gold Medalist, also released a statement mourning the actress. The deceased’s exclusive contract with Gold Medalist ended in December 2022, and she has been active without an agency since then.
Meanwhile, Kim Sae-ron debuted as a magazine model in 2001, she rose to fame as a child prodigy through “The Man from Nowhere.” However, in May 2022, she was involved in a drunk driving accident, crashing into a guardrail, trees, and a transformer while heavily intoxicated. She was later fined 20 million won, and the controversy made it difficult for her to return to the entertainment industry. Recently, she had been cast in the film “Guitar Man,” which was set for release.