Late Actress Kim Sae-ron’s Debt to Former Agency Revealed

According to a report by TV Daily on the 17th, the late actress Kim Sae-ron owed approximately 700 million KRW to her former agency.

Kim was involved in a drunk driving accident in May 2022, crashing into a transformer at Hakdong Intersection in Gangnam, Seoul. The incident caused a power outage in the surrounding area, leading to compensation claims for damages. Additionally, she was required to pay penalties for breaching her advertising and drama contracts.

However, Kim had no money. According to her lawyer, Min Ki-ho, she had spent all her earnings on her parents' business and her family's living expenses. Min revealed that Kim's only asset at the time was the car she drove during the accident.

As Kim was unable to cover the costs, her then-agency, Gold Medalist, paid the compensation fees and contract penalties on her behalf. This amount later became her debt to the agency.

Gold Medalist is a management and drama production company founded in 2020 by director Lee Ro-bae, known for the film Real, and producer Kim Mi-hye, who planned Extreme Job. The agency was established after they recruited actor Kim Soo-hyun, who had left KeyEast. Currently, Gold Medalist represents Kim Soo-hyun, as well as actors Kim Soo-kyum, Kim Seung-ho, Lee Chae-min, Lee Jong-hyun, Choi Hyun-wook, Yoo Eun-ji, and Jung Han-seol. Given Kim Soo-hyun’s star status and the fact that director Lee Ro-bae is his maternal cousin, Kim is considered the agency’s key figure. Kim Sae-ron was the first actor Gold Medalist signed after Kim Soo-hyun.

According to TV Daily, Kim Sae-ron's debt to Gold Medalist amounted to approximately 700 million KRW. While she had promised to repay the money upon leaving the agency, her financial situation made it difficult.

To make ends meet, Kim took on various part-time jobs, including working as a café employee, a manager, and an acting coach. However, these efforts were not enough to pay off her debt. Her lawyer, Min, previously stated, “She has no choice but to support herself through part-time jobs, and she is at a loss about how to repay the debt to her agency.”

TV Daily further reported that Gold Medalist had sent Kim a legal notice demanding repayment. In response, Kim reportedly pleaded for more time, explaining her difficult circumstances.