It has been confirmed that the late actress Kim Saeron endured years of ongoing financial hardship prior to her passing, with part of the burden directly linked to her family’s economic situation.
Kim reportedly took on a portion of her family's debts during her lifetime and relied on financial assistance from both figures in the entertainment industry and personal acquaintances to sustain her daily life.
According to court documents from 2023, Kim Saeron was listed as one of the creditors in her father A’s personal bankruptcy case. Sources say that the amount owed to Kim exceeded 250 million won (~$180,000 USD).
Her father had filed for personal bankruptcy at the Uijeongbu District Court in December 2020 after his business failed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving debts of several hundred million KRW to more than 20 creditors. His bankruptcy and debt discharge were finalized in March 2023. At that time, Kim Saeron was 20 years old.
Close sources also revealed that Kim had invested some funds into a family-run restaurant, which ultimately failed. The restaurant, opened around May 2021 under the name of a family acquaintance, was supported not only financially by Kim but also through her entertainment industry network. However, it closed down in 2024. According to the property manager, the restaurant shut down before the lease ended due to unpaid rent and maintenance fees, which resulted in the full loss of its deposit.
In the midst of these struggles, Kim’s financial situation worsened significantly after her May 2022 DUI incident, where she crashed into a transformer. The compensation for damages to nearby businesses and associated legal fees reportedly placed a tremendous financial burden on her.
During her 2023 DUI trial, her attorney stated on her behalf, “She has been supporting her family as the head of the household from a young age. Not only Kim Sa-ron, but her family as well, is struggling with severe financial difficulties.”
A source in the entertainment industry shared, “Kim worked tirelessly at cafes, bars, flower shops, and as an acting coach just to cover her living expenses. But things were so bad she even worried about paying rent. At one point early last year, she urgently needed to repay a 50 million won (~$36,000 USD) loan from an athlete friend, and her agency had to step in and cover part of it.”
A neighbor from the building where Kim lived shortly before her death also recalled, “I once saw her crying on the stairs. When I asked what was wrong, she showed me her wrist and said, ‘I’ve worked so hard, but I’m struggling so much because of money.’ The last time I saw her like that was about two months before she died.”
In a private post shared around September last year on a closed SNS account, Kim Saeron expressed her financial hardships. The post conveyed her gratitude to those who had helped her financially and included a phrase hinting at a “final farewell,” stating, “I won’t be in pain anymore.”
According to SBS Entertainment News, Kim had debts not only to the three entertainment industry acquaintances she personally mentioned, but also owed substantial amounts ranging from hundreds of thousands to tens of millions of won, to singers, actors, and athletes. She reportedly owed about 700 million won to her former agency Gold Medalist, and around 60 million KRW to Run Entertainment.
When all debts are combined, the total amount she was burdened with before her death is estimated to be at least 1.2 billion won(~ $870,000 USD).
However, about a month after her passing, in March, her family refuted claims that she had been struggling due to her family’s debt.
In an official statement, Kim Saeron’s mother stated:
“Now that Saeron is no longer with us, people are saying she was the head of the household, or that the family squandered hundreds of billions of won that she earned, these baseless, outrageous articles filled with lies aren’t even worth reading or acknowledging.”
Although it has been over three months since Kim Saeron’s death, public debate continues regarding the cause of her death, who may be responsible, and whether she had a romantic relationship with actor Kim Soohyun while she was still a mi**r.
Kim Soohyun’s side denied the allegations that he dated Kim Saeron while she was underage, stating, “Their relationship began after she became an adult.” His team has since filed lawsuits and complaints against YouTube channel 'Garosero Institute' and Kim’s family for defamation, and separately reported the Garo Sero Institute for violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of S****l Crimes (related to unauthorized distribution of video material).
In response, Kim Saeron’s family filed a criminal complaint on May 7 against Kim Soohyun with the Seoul Metropolitan Police, accusing him of violating the Child Welfare Act.
source: https://m.entertain.naver.com/home/article/416/0000314415
original post: here
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