Almost four months after Kim Sae Ron¡¯s heartbreaking death, new reports are shedding light on the financial struggles she faced as the sole breadwinner for her family. These revelations come just as dating rumours linking her to actor Kim Soo Hyun have resurfaced, sparking widespread speculations about her past.
According to court filings, as reported by multiple K-media outlets, Kim Sae Ron was registered as a creditor in her father¡¯s personal bankruptcy case. She was owed over 250 million KRW (180,000 USD)¡ªmoney she had used to repay her father¡¯s debts after he defaulted on loans from more than 20 creditors.
Her father, identified only as ¡°A,¡± filed for bankruptcy in December 2020 and was officially discharged by the Uijeongbu District Court in March 2023. Kim was just 20 years old when the bankruptcy was finalized.
After her father's bankruptcy, Kim tried to help her family bounce back. In May 2021, she reportedly invested in a family-run restaurant, registering it under a friend¡¯s name.
She poured financial resources into the business and promoted it using her entertainment industry contacts. But despite her efforts, the restaurant shut down in 2024 due to unpaid rent and operational fees, causing her to lose even more, including the security deposit.
In 2022, Kim was involved in a drunk driving incident, crashing into a transformer in Seoul. The case quickly spiralled into a public controversy. More than just a reputational hit, the crash reportedly impacted multiple nearby businesses, leading to civil compensation claims and a wave of legal expenses.
During her DUI trial in 2023, her legal team stated that Kim had been the family¡¯s sole breadwinner, citing ongoing financial strain. They described her as taking on significant monetary responsibilities for herself and her relatives.
Reports from Money Today, bnt News, and allkpop detail the extent of the former child actress' financial struggles, with public records showing her confirmed liabilities totalled over KRW 1.2 billion (around USD 900,000). This included KRW 100 million each borrowed from two idols and one singer friend, a KRW 60 million loan from her agency to cover medical expenses, and a massive KRW 700 million owed to her former agency, Gold Medalist, as repayment for pre-paid breach-of-contract penalties following her 2022 DUI incident. Despite the staggering total, it remains unclear how exactly these funds were used¡ªwhether for personal needs, legal fees, or to support her family.
In April 2025, a month after Kim's death, her family¡¯s legal team released a statement denying the narrative that she had been the family¡¯s sole provider. They dismissed the reports of financial mismanagement and wealth being squandered as ¡°unworthy of attention.¡±
Still, the court filings and business records tell a different story¡ªone where Kim appeared to be taking on a role far heavier than her age.
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