Kim Sae-ron’s Family Breaks Silence: “We Paid for Her Hospital Bills, She Never Asked Acquaintances for Help”
On March 25, Kwon Young-chan, head of the Korea Celebrities Suicide Prevention Association, spoke to Newsis, addressing the controversy surrounding Kim Sae-ron’s medical expenses. He clarified that the late actress never sought financial help from acquaintances, as her family had covered the majority of her hospital bills.
“I have been in direct contact with Kim Sae-ron’s mother and family. Kim Sae-ron never asked acquaintances for financial help, as her family covered most of her medical expenses,” Kwon stated, refuting claims that she had struggled to pay for her treatments.
He went on to provide further details, explaining, “She received hospital treatment 20 times in total. Her parents paid for 18 of those visits, while her agency’s CEO covered the remaining two. Kim Sae-ron didn’t inform her mother about those two payments out of guilt and concern for her family.”
Kwon also directly countered the claims made by YouTuber Lee Jin-ho, who alleged that a personal acquaintance had stepped in to pay Kim Sae-ron’s medical bills. “That is a lie. It was the agency’s CEO who covered those costs,” Kwon asserted.
He also shared additional context regarding a missed phone call from Kim Sae-ron to her mother. “At the time, her mother was unwell and unable to answer the call. When the agency’s CEO learned about this, they confronted Lee Jin-ho’s acquaintance, questioning, ‘Why didn’t you call her parents instead?'”
Kwon’s statements aimed to dispel misinformation about Kim Sae-ron’s financial situation and hospital expenses, reinforcing that her family and agency had been responsible for her medical costs.
Debate Over Medical Costs and Alleged Self-Harm Expenses
Kwon provided clarity regarding the medical costs associated with self-harm treatments, stating that while some procedures are covered by medical insurance, others are not. “Surgery typically costs between 200,000 and 400,000 KRW, but in cases requiring delicate sutures at a plastic surgery clinic, the cost could range from 1 million to 2 million KRW. We contacted four hospitals in Gangnam, Seoul, and none charged more than 2 million KRW (approximately 1,400 USD),” he explained.
His statement directly contradicted YouTuber Lee Jin-ho’s claims that Kim Sae-ron had accumulated significant hospital debt due to repeated self-harm attempts. In a video posted on March 24, Lee stated, “I previously reported that each hospital visit cost around 5 million KRW (approximately 3,400 USD) due to her self-harm attempts, and that she owed her agency significant hospital debt.”
He continued, “In normal cases, emergency stitching procedures cost between 400,000 and 1 million KRW. However, Kim Sae-ron herself stated that her procedure was not covered by insurance,” before playing an alleged audio recording of Kim Sae-ron telling an acquaintance, “I tore the tendons and ligaments in my arm. The injury is serious, and since it isn’t covered by insurance, I need about 5 million KRW for surgery.”
Legal Battle Intensifies Over Kim Sae-ron’s Death
Kim Sae-ron’s family sued YouTuber Lee Jin-ho for defamation, accusing him of spreading false claims that caused her distress. Lee denied fabricating information, but the family demanded a police investigation.
Meanwhile, her family alleged she dated Kim Soo-hyun as a minor, which his agency denied. After initially refuting any romance, Kim Soo-hyun later admitted they dated from 2019 to 2020, when she was an adult.
Tensions escalated when Garo Sero aired a private photo of Kim Soo-hyun, leading his agency to sue them and Kim Sae-ron’s family for violating privacy laws. Despite legal action, the controversy continues.