Revisiting Kim Sae Ron’s DUI accident: A turn of fate before her death at 25

South Korean actress Kim Sae Ron. Photo from Instagram/kimsaeronz

Kim was found deceased at her home in Seoul by a friend on Feb. 16 at the age of 25, with initial police investigations showing no signs of foul play. Her funeral took place on Wednesday.

Her acting debut came in 2009 with the film "A Brand New Life," where she portrayed a nine-year-old girl left at an orphanage by her father, learning to adjust to her new surroundings. The film clinched the Best Asian Film award at the 22nd Tokyo International Film Festival, propelling Kim to become the youngest South Korean artist to attend the Cannes Film Festival, according to Chosun Biz.

Her later roles in films such as "The Man from Nowhere" and "A Girl at My Door" cemented her status as a "child prodigy" in South Korea’s acting scene, characterized by her portrayal of characters facing tragic destinies and intricate psychologies. At 14, she became the youngest actress ever nominated for Best Actress at the prestigious Baeksang Awards in South Korea.

By 2022, Kim had featured in 11 films and 19 drama series, with her latest role being in Netflix’s series "Bloodhounds," which was released in 2023, as reported by the Daily Mail.

Her career faced a significant setback in May 2022 when she, while driving under the influence in Seoul, collided with a guardrail and a transformer, causing substantial damage, as reported by The Korea Times. The crash resulted in a damaged transformer and power outages impacting 57 nearby stores.

Kim initially refused an on-site breathalyzer test but subsequently agreed to a blood test, which showed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.2%, exceeding the threshold for license revocation.

In response, her then-agency Gold Medalist issued a statement acknowledging her regret and dedication to amending the situation: "Kim Sae Ron is deeply reflecting on her apparent mistake. The damage caused by the crash is being compensated as much as possible."

On May 19, 2022, the actress also issued a personal apology via Instagram with a handwritten note: "I caused damage to so many people, including merchants, citizens, and those who restored it. I should have acted more carefully and responsibly, but I couldn’t. I sincerely apologize."

She confirmed that she was working with her management agency to compensate for the damages.

"I am very sorry to my fellow actors and staff as well as the production team for disrupting the production of the work that was being filmed and prepared," she added. "There is no excuse for this unfortunate incident. I am disappointed and very ashamed of the mistakes I have made."

In addition to compensating the affected stores, Kim was fined 20 million won (US$13,868). This resulted in a significant financial burden for the actress, as she was responsible for paying 700 million won in legal settlement costs and a contract cancellation fee to Gold Medalist due to her misconduct, according to Pinkvilla.

At the time, Kim’s attorney Min Ki Ho revealed that she had no significant assets as her earnings had been "all spent by her parents either for their business or on living expenses for the family," according to Korea JoongAng Daily. Consequently, she continued to face financial hardships that hindered her ability to settle her 700-million-won debt, as stated by Min.

In addition to financial hardships, the incident had significant repercussions on Kim’s career. She had to relinquish her roles in all ongoing television and film projects, including the drama series "Trolley," "Bloodhounds," and the movie "Us Every Day" (title literally translated), which was not released as a result of the incident.

She was also placed on South Korea’s public broadcaster KBS’s list of celebrities banned from appearing on the network due to criminal charges. Furthermore, Gold Medalist opted not to renew her contract when it expired in Dec. 2022.

When "Bloodhounds" premiered in 2023, viewers noted that most of her scenes had been edited out.

Public backlash also complicated her attempts to return to acting. In April last year, Kim was slated to participate in the play "Dongchimi," but the production team later declared that she would withdraw due to "health reasons."

To manage her debts, Kim reportedly took on part-time jobs, including managing a café and mentoring aspiring actors. However, these efforts were not enough to fully address her substantial financial obligations.

Amid these struggles, Kim also reportedly battled depression.