Director of Kim Sae-ron’s Last Work: She was a Passionate Person, Even Gifted Clothes to Staff
On February 16, police confirmed that Kim Sae-ron was found dead at her residence, after receiving a report around 5 PM (KST) and arriving at the scene to discover her deceased. Investigations into the exact circumstances of her passing are ongoing.
According to E-Daily, Kim Sae-ron finished filming the movie “Guitar Man” in November last year. The film is currently in post-production, and its premiere is expected to be in May this year.
“Guitar Man” tells the story of a genius guitarist who joins the underground band Volcano. The film gained attention as real-life vocalist and guitarist Lee Sun-jung, from the band Lee Sun-jung Band, plays a member of Volcano. Lee Sun-jung is also known as the founder of the pharmaceutical company Seongwon Pharmaceutical.
The production company of “Guitar Man” told Xports News, “We hope that Kim Sae-ron, who has faced many challenges due to her past drunk drinking incident, will come back to the public in a positive light.”
In addition, Director Shin Jae-ho of “Guitar Man” has paid tribute to the late actress Kim Sae-ron, while many of the staff members who had recently worked with Kim Sae-ron are still in shock and mourning.
In an exclusive interview on the morning of the 17th, Shin Jae-ho recalled, “I first met Kim Sae-ron at the script reading for ‘Guitar Man’. She was very bright. She was more easygoing than I expected, so after the reading, we went out for a gathering. We had a meal together and talked a lot.”
He continued, “She told the other actors that she was determined to do her best in this project, and she also told me to take good care of her. She was full of enthusiasm. She had been acting for a long time and was a truly professional actress. On set, she didn’t feel like a young actress—she had the presence of a senior. Among the ‘Guitar Man’ cast, she had the most acting experience and carried herself with the confidence of a seasoned actor.”
“Kim Sae-ron played a leading role in setting the atmosphere on set”, the director also shared, adding, “She was diligent in her approach to work. Professionally, she was meticulous, but in daily life, she was down-to-earth and approachable. She even gave clothes as gifts to the staff and left many fond memories. That’s why yesterday, many staff members reached out to me, deeply saddened. It seems like the news of her passing has left a deep emotional scar on everyone.”
Furthermore, he stated, “Her role in the movie was that of a female keyboardist in an unknown band, and I heard she practiced playing the keyboard for the role. She genuinely loved music. We supported and encouraged each other during filming, which makes it even harder to believe this situation. It’s truly heartbreaking.”
Kim Sae-ron first gained attention as a child actress through her impressive performances in movies like “A Brand New Life” and “The Man from Nowhere”, earning her the nickname “genius child actress”. She actively worked across various dramas, movies and variety shows. However, her career came to a halt after causing a public controversy with a drunk driving incident in 2022.
In May, she attempted to make her acting comeback through the play “Dongchimi” after a two-year hiatus, but she ultimately withdrew due to overwhelming negative public opinion. Rumors even circulated that she was working at a café in Seongsu-dong, Seoul.
In March, she shocked the public by posting a selfie with actor Kim Soo-hyun on her Instagram. The photo showed the two with their faces pressed closely together in an intimate pose.
At the time, Kim Soo-hyun was enjoying widespread popularity for his role in tvN’s drama “Queen of Tears”, which only intensified the controversy. Although Kim Sae-ron quickly deleted the photo, she remained silent about why she had posted it. Through a media outlet, she said, “I’ve thought about it a lot, but I believe saying nothing would be more helpful.”
In 2022, Kim Sae-ron was involved in a drunk driving incident in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, where she crashed into several structures including transformers, guard rails and street trees. This caused temporary power outages in nearby stores and streetlights, inconveniencing local residents.
Kim Sae-ron faced further criticism for refusing a breathalyzer test and instead requesting a blood test from the police. The test revealed her blood alcohol level to be around 0.2%, a level high enough to warrant license cancellation. In court, she was fined 20 million KRW.