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Late South Korean actress Kim Sae-ron reportedly faced financial struggles over the past few years, which are directly connected to her family. On June 9, 2025, SBS News reported that the actress faced a massive debt of 250 million KRW. This was reportedly because she was confirmed as a creditor for her father's bankruptcy after his business failed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to court data from 2023, Sae-ron was not the only creditor; there were reportedly twenty more people registered as creditors in her father's bankruptcy case. In December 2020, her father, identified as Mr. A, filed for bankruptcy, according to SBS News. Kim Sae-ron turned 20 in February 2023, a month before Mr. A's business was declared bankrupt in March.
Additionally, in May 2021, Kim Sae-ron started a new venture in the restaurant industry, and an acquaintance's name was used for registering the business. The Bloodhounds actress made efforts to promote her new business through her connections in the entertainment industry.
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The Hi! School-Love On star also financially invested in the restaurant business but allegedly went under due to rent arrears and operating expenses. The actress also reportedly lost a security deposit in the same. Furthermore, Kim Sae-ron's driving under the influence case intensified the financial issues she was enduring.
She reportedly owed approximately 700 million KRW to her previous entertainment company, GOLD MEDALIST, after the DUI incident. She is also said to have received financial aid of 60 million KRW from Run Entertainment due to medical expenses. Additionally, she was allegedly indebted to two K-pop idols and a singer, each 100 million KRW, with the final amount totaled up to 1.2 billion KRW.
Kim Sae-ron's family reportedly dismisses her "sole breadwinner" accusations
Kim Sae-ron was caught up in a drunk driving case in 2022, crashing into a transformer in Seoul. This incident caused damage to several businesses in the area connected to the transformer. The actress received massive backlash from the public and was charged with civil and legal cases seeking financial compensation for the damages.
According to SBS News, during the legal trial of the DUI case in 2023, Kim Sae-ron's legal representatives revealed that she was the sole-earning member, providing for not only her family but also her relatives. The lawyers emphasized the financial pressure she faced due to the alleged debt.
Notably, the 24-year-old actress was confirmed to have been found dead in her house on February 16, 2025, sending shockwaves across the nation. In March 2025, her family joined forces with YouTuber Garo Saero Institute, making allegations against Kim Soo-hyun in connection with the Mirror of the Witch actress. The parents claimed that the South Korean actor was dating their daughter while she had not passed the legal age.
Amid the dating controversy, her family denied the allegations of the actress being the sole breadwinner. According to SBS News, her mother in a statement said,
"Now that Sae-ron is gone, outrageous stories are being fabricated, from her being the family breadwinner to claims of the family squandering hundreds of millions she earned, to the creation of incredibly false articles that aren't even worth reading."
In other news, Kim Soo-hyun faced the loss of several brand endorsement deals amidst criticism due to the dating scandal. He filed a civil legal case worth 12 billion KRW against Kim Sae-ron's family, denying the allegations.
