South Korean actress Kim Sae-ron’s heartbreaking cause of death has been revealed.
As previously reported, the young actress was discovered in her home in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on Sunday (February 16) at around 4:50PM local time.
A friend who had planned to meet her that day found her unresponsive and alerted authorities.
South Korean police have now disclosed that Sae-ron, who was best known for her role in Netflix’s Bloodhounds, tragically died by suicide, local Yonhap news agency reported.
“We believe she made an extreme choice and plan to handle it as a suicide,” a police official told reporters, adding that no note was left behind.
They also noted that they found no “signs of foul play” and announced that the investigation into her death remains ongoing.
The 24-year-old star was a household name in her country, making her acting debut at just nine years old. She quickly rose to fame with standout performances in the 2010 action film The Man from Nowhere and the 2012 thriller The Neighbor.
Her talent earned her multiple accolades, including Best New Actress honors at several prestigious Korean arts awards.
However, her career took a devastating downturn in May 2022 after she drunkenly crashed her car into a roadside electrical transformer box.
The incident led to immense public backlash, and she was fined 20 million won (approximately $13,850) and forced to withdraw from the drama series Trolley and then disappeared from the public eye, per South China Morning Post.
At the time of the incident, Sae-ron publicly apologized for her actions, acknowledging her mistake in a heartfelt statement: “I had an accident yesterday on May 18, around 8 am in Gangnam, I made a big mistake by being drunk at that time,” cited by The Independent.
“I am also very sorry to the production crew, including fellow actors and staff, for interrupting the production of the work that is being shot and the work that was being prepared,” she continued.
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“Once again, I am deeply sorry for the inconvenience. There is no excuse for this unfortunate incident, and I am disappointed and so ashamed of my mistake. I will reflect and reflect again and again so that this never happens again. I’m sorry,” she added.
Kim Saeron has died at the age of 24. pic.twitter.com/YQNgc1UT2A
— Pop Base (@PopBase) February 16, 2025
Despite the scandal, Kim Sae-ron attempted a comeback in 2023. However, ongoing health struggles forced her to step away from the industry once again.
News of her tragic passing has left both fans and the entertainment industry in mourning. Many Korean celebrities took to social media to honor her memory.
“May you rest in peace,” actor Kim Ok-bin wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of a white chrysanthemum, a symbol of grief in many Asian cultures.
Sae-ron’s co-star Kim Min-che shared a photo of a scene from The Neighbors on Instagram and said: “I was so happy to meet you as my daughter in the movie. May you rest in peace.”
Our thoughts continue to be with Sae-ron’s family and friends.
