Korea's world-renowned top model the late Kim Da-ul has been gone for 16 years already.
Nov. 19, 2025, marks the 16th anniversary of the death of the late Kim Da-ul. The deceased died on Nov. 19, 2009, at her home in Paris, France. She was 20 years old.
Born in 1989, Kim Da-ul appeared like a comet after being named one of NY magazine's "Top 10 models to watch" in 2008. At the time Tongyang models faced prejudice on the international stage, Kim Da-ul's presence was revolutionary, and she dominated the runways of world-renowned luxury brands such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Alexander McQueen, and Dries Van Noten. She was especially praised by the late fashion master Karl Lagerfeld and served as a muse for Chanel.
Kim Da-ul was an artist beyond being a model. She drew, wrote and made videos as a versatile artist, and the blog she ran while alive contains her anguish and artistic sensitivity hidden behind the glamorous runway.
Although Kim Da-ul tried to transform the extreme loneliness and anxiety behind her success as a model into art, her inner pain was deep. At the age of 20, she ended her life at her home in Paris, France, shocking many.
At the time, her agency said, "It is believed she took her own life," and added, "She seemed not to want to show herself falling after reaching the top. The deceased led an intense life pursuing many artistic activities from a young age—fashion modeling, painting, writing, documentary filmmaking and fashion design—and felt anxiety about the life that remained after achieving everything. She experienced a sense of loss about not being able to live an ordinary life like her peers, and suffered great mental confusion and wandering due to the gap between the expectations she had before reaching the top and the feelings after reaching it."
The entertainment industry could not hide its sorrow at the news of the death of the late Kim Da-ul. Singer G-Dragon offered condolences, saying, "Rest in peace, Ms. Kim Da-ul. Please rest comfortably. I will pray. Goodbye," and models Lee Hyuk-soo and Hye-bak also mourned her. Senior Han Hye-jin said through tears, "I feel guilty about Kim Da-ul's death. As an older sister I should have at least bought her meals more often."
[OSEN]