The late actress Kim Sae Ron reportedly faced serious financial troubles for several years before her death. Sources confirm that much of her hardship was linked to her family’s money issues.
Reports reveal that Kim Sae Ron took on some of her family’s debt and depended on support from people in the entertainment industry and acquaintances who helped her financially.
Court records from 2023 show that Kim Sae Ron was listed as a creditor in her father’s personal bankruptcy case, with the amount owed to her over 250 million won.
Her father filed for personal bankruptcy at Uijeongbu District Court in December 2020 after his business collapsed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He left debts of hundreds of millions of won to more than 20 creditors. His bankruptcy was finalized in March 2023, when Kim Sae Ron was just 20 years old.
Close sources say Kim Sae Ron also invested money in a family restaurant opened by her parents in May 2021. The restaurant was run under an acquaintance’s name and received financial and entertainment industry support from Kim Sae Ron. Unfortunately, the restaurant closed in 2024, before the lease ended, causing her to lose the deposit due to unpaid rent and fees.
Her financial troubles worsened after her drunk driving incident in May 2022, where she crashed into a transformer. The compensation and legal fees added heavy pressure on her.
During her 2023 trial for the incident, her lawyer said, “She acted as the head of her family and supported them. Not only Kim Sae Ron, but her family was struggling financially.”
An entertainment insider shared, “Kim Sae Ron worked nonstop at cafes, bars, flower shops, and even gave acting lessons just to survive."
They added, "She was so worried about paying rent that early last year, she urgently repaid about 50 million won she had borrowed from an athlete friend. Her agency even helped cover part of the debt.”
A neighbor from her apartment revealed, “I saw her crying on the stairs a few times. When I asked why, she showed me her wrist and said she was trying so hard but money was a huge struggle. That was just two months before she died.”
Around September last year, Kim Sae Ron shared on her private social media about her money struggles, thanking friends who helped and writing, “I won’t suffer anymore.”
According to reports, aside from a few close industry friends, Kim Sae Ron owed money to many others, including singers, actors, and athletes. Some debts were tens of millions of won, others hundreds of millions.
Before her death, her confirmed debts totaled at least 1.2 billion won.
About a month after her passing, her family denied claims that she suffered because of their debts. Her mother stated, “False articles are being written now that Sae Ron is gone. People say she was the head of the family and that we wasted her money like vampires. These are terrible lies.”
Three months after Kim Sae Ron’s death, questions about the cause and responsibility remain, with ongoing controversies in the public.
Source: [1]
