Kim Sae-ron’s Post 5 Months Before Her Death Reveals ‘Hundreds of Millions in Debt’
Amid ongoing controversy surrounding the cause of actress Kim Sae-ron’s death in February 2025, new details have emerged indicating that she was struggling with debts amounting to hundreds of millions of won owed to entertainment industry acquaintances, evoking widespread sympathy.
According to a close associate, around 2 AM on September 8, 2024, approximately five months before her death, Kim Sae-ron posted on her private social media account, used for close friends, a message hinting at finality. In the post, she wrote, “If I die, please capture and share this post,” naming entertainment colleagues who had helped her and adding, “To those who left me in my hardest times, think about what you received from me. I won’t be in pain anymore,” revealing her distressed state of mind.
Two of Kim Sae-ron’s acquaintances reportedly saw the post within 10 minutes and rushed to her residence in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, preventing a tragic incident at the time. A close source shared, “She worked tirelessly at acting coaching, cafes, flower shops, and bars, but she was financially strained and deeply anxious.”
Following this message, SBS Entertainment News confirmed that two members of a prominent idol group and one singer friend had each lent Kim Sae-ron approximately 100 million won (about $72,000 USD). Actor A and singer-actor B, without specifying exact amounts, admitted to lending her money after she expressed financial hardship following her May 18, 2022, drunk driving incident. Singer C’s side cautiously confirmed lending her 12 million won in late 2023 and just under 8 million won in May 2024, transferred to her family’s account.
Additionally, Kim Sae-ron borrowed 50 million won from business associate D for her rental deposit and owed approximately 60 million won to Run Entertainment, where she was signed for about a year until early 2024, for surgery and hospital expenses, which was offset after her contract ended.
Gold Medalist, her former agency until December 2022, had covered approximately 700 million won in penalties for Netflix’s Bloodhounds due to her drunk driving incident, later writing it off as a loss in December 2023, a fact revealed after her death.
Controversy persists three months after her passing regarding the cause of her death, responsibility, and allegations of a past relationship with actor Kim Soo-hyun during her minor years.
Kim Soo-hyun’s side has denied claims of a relationship during her minor years, asserting that any relationship occurred after she reached adulthood. They filed lawsuits against the YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute and Kim Sae-ron‘s family for defamation, as well as charges against Garosero for violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes (distribution of filmed content). In response, on May 7, 2025, Kim Sae-ron’s family filed a complaint with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency against Kim Soo-hyun for violating the Child Welfare Act.