Actor Kim Sae Ron has passed away at the age of 25, leading to a wave of mourning from fellow celebrities.
Actor Kim Ok Bin posted a photo of a chrysanthemum on her social media account on the 17th, writing, "I sincerely wish for the deceased's repose." Although she did not mention Kim Sae Ron by name, the timing of the post, shortly after the news broke, suggests it is interpreted as a tribute.
Kim Min Chae, who appeared alongside Kim Sae Ron in the movie "Neighborhood People," also expressed his condolences. He posted a photo depicting a scene from the film on social media, stating, "I was so happy to meet you as a daughter in the movie,” and added, "I hope you rest comfortably there."
Yeldo, a former member of the girl group Fiesta, posted a dandelion seed image on social media, writing, "I'm so sad. The memories I have of you, as a loyal and kind friend, linger in my mind," and said, "It feels like today will be a long night."
Actor Yoo Ara, from the group Hello Venus, shared a photo of Kim Sae Ron on social media, writing, "I’m sorry I couldn’t offer warm words and only nagged you," and said, "I’m sorry and grateful, and I’ll remember you shining brightly and pray for you."
Actors Seo Ye Ji and Seo Ha Jun also expressed their condolences on social media by posting photos of chrysanthemums. Kim Sae Ron's former agency Gold Medalist left a brief message stating, "We sincerely wish for the deceased's repose."
Some noted that Kim Sae Ron had suffered from excessive malicious comments during her lifetime, expressing criticism alongside mourning messages.
Singer Mikyo said through social media, "It seems that malicious commenters only stop their actions when someone dies," and added, "I think they wouldn’t even realize they are leaving malicious comments."
Kim Sae Ron entered the entertainment industry as a child model in the magazine "Anpang" in 2001, and began her acting career with the movie "Traveler" in 2009. Her role in Lee Chang Dong's Korean-French co-produced film "Traveler" earned her a spot on the Cannes Film Festival's red carpet, making her the youngest actress from Korea to walk it.
She later appeared in movies such as "The Man," "Do Hee," and dramas like "Can You Hear My Heart?", "What’s Mom?", and "Queen's Classroom."
However, she suspended her activities after being involved in a drunk driving accident in May 2022. She exited the cast of the drama "Trolley" and had all her footage edited out from the Netflix series "Hunting Dogs," for which filming was mostly completed.
Kim Sae Ron attempted to resume her activities after two years through the play "Dongchimi," but after the news of her comeback stirred controversy, she withdrew a day later citing health reasons.
The posthumous film "Guitar Man" is set to be released soon.
Kim Sae Ron's mortuary has been set up at the Seoul Asan Hospital funeral hall No. 7 in Songpa-gu, Seoul. The funeral procession will take place at 6:20 a.m. on the 19th.