Kim Sae Ron’s financial struggles revealed amid family debt and failed business
Late Kim Sae Ron faced ongoing money troubles linked to her family’s debt, sources confirm. Court records from 2023 showed she was registered as a creditor in her father’s 2020 personal bankruptcy case. The debt topped ₩200 million KRW (about $147,000 USD).
Her father’s business collapse left over 20 creditors unpaid. Kim Sae Ron, only 20 at the time, took on some of that burden. She also invested in a family restaurant opened in 2021 under an acquaintance’s name, which shut down in 2024 after losing its deposit due to unpaid rent and fees.
Her financial situation worsened after a 2022 DUI incident. Her lawyer said:
“She is the head of the household in her family. Not only her, but her family is also struggling financially.”
SBS Entertainment News reported Kim Sae Ron owed money to singers, actors, athletes, her former agencies, and three entertainment industry acquaintances. Total debts reached at least ₩1.20 billion KRW (about $882,000 USD) by her death.
Meanwhile, actor Kim Soo Hyun denied dating Kim Sae Ron when she was a minor, insisting their relationship began after she became an adult.
