Actress Kim Sae-ron was listed as creditor in father’s bankruptcy, lost over $180,000
Kim Sae-ron / Xportsnews
Actress Kim Sae-ron, who died in February at the age of 25, reportedly bore the weight of her family’s financial difficulties in her final years, including debts tied to her father’s failed business.
According to an SBS Entertainment News report on Monday, Kim had assumed responsibility for part of her family’s debt and received financial help from acquaintances in the entertainment industry to make ends meet. Her economic hardship reportedly intensified over the past few years, partly due to her family's financial instability.
Kim’s father filed for personal bankruptcy in December 2020 after a business collapse during the COVID-19 pandemic left him indebted to more than 20 creditors. At the time, Kim — then 20 years old — was listed as one of the creditors and reportedly owed around 250 million won (about $180,000). The bankruptcy was finalized in March 2023.
Additionally, a restaurant run by her family went out of business after failing to pay rent and maintenance fees, resulting in the full loss of its security deposit.
Kim’s situation worsened further after her 2022 drunk driving incident, which led to compensation claims and mounting legal costs. “She is the head of her household, supporting her family members, who are also struggling with severe financial hardship," her legal team stated during her 2023 court trial related to the incident.
However, following Kim’s death, her mother released a statement in March addressing rumors and online speculation. “There are terrible false reports spreading — from claims that Sae-ron was the sole breadwinner for the family to stories about the family draining her of the hundreds of billions she supposedly earned,” she said. “They are not worth seeing or believing.”
Kim's family has been involved in controversy over her alleged past relationship with actor Kim Soo-hyun during her teenage years. The claim, raised in March, has since sparked an ongoing dispute.
This article from Xportsnews is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.