Kim Sae-Ron, a South Korean film and TV star and former acting child prodigy, was found dead Sunday at her home in Seoul, according to multiple media reports. She was 24.
Police said a friend found her dead in her Seongdong home in Seoul, and confirmed that she died Sunday. No signs of break-in our foul play were discovered, but the cause of her death was still under investigation.
Kim started acting at age nine, and was a popular cultural figure from films “A Brand New Life,” which premiered at Cannes in 2009, and “The Man From Nowhere,” a major box office hit in South Korea. She won mass critical acclaim and several awards from those roles, including Best New Actress at the Korean Film Awards and other organizations.
Her career continued in her teens with films like “A Girl at My Door” and Korean television dramas such “Listen to My Heart” and “The Queen’s Classroom.”
Kim’s transition from child actress to adult star was hindered in 2022 when she was involved in a crash that led to DUI charges. Amid the extra public scrutiny and a hefty court fine, she paused all public activities, though she began work on a low-budget indie film late last year.
Though her fame spread beyond South Korea, she had yet to appear in any major American movie or TV productions.
