{"id":272757,"date":"2025-04-03T04:04:06","date_gmt":"2025-04-03T04:04:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/03\/south-korean-actresss-suicide-spurs-scrutiny-of-ex-boyfriend\/"},"modified":"2025-04-03T04:04:06","modified_gmt":"2025-04-03T04:04:06","slug":"south-korean-actresss-suicide-spurs-scrutiny-of-ex-boyfriend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/03\/south-korean-actresss-suicide-spurs-scrutiny-of-ex-boyfriend\/","title":{"rendered":"South Korean Actress\u2019s Suicide Spurs Scrutiny of Ex-Boyfriend"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align:center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/04\/02\/multimedia\/Kim-Sae-ron-01-cqgk\/Kim-Sae-ron-01-cqgk-facebookJumbo.jpg?ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"South Korean Actress\u2019s Suicide Spurs Scrutiny of Ex-Boyfriend\" title=\"South Korean Actress\u2019s Suicide Spurs Scrutiny of Ex-Boyfriend\" \/><\/div><p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-0\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">When Kim Sae-ron was <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/02\/17\/world\/asia\/south-korea-actress-dead.html\" title=\"\">found dead<\/a> at her home in February, she joined a growing list of South Korean entertainers who have ended their own lives. But the actress, who was 24, has generated more headlines in death than in life as her relationship with an older male superstar has come under scrutiny.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The tragedy and scandal has embroiled Kim Soo-hyun, 37, one of \u200bSouth Korea\u2019s best-known actors,\u200b and is packed with allegations worthy of a K-drama story line: A former child prodigy and a man 13 years her senior started dating. Not long after they broke up, the actress got into a drunk-driving incident that proved fatal to her career and suffered financial troubles, while the actor became one of the country\u2019s richest stars. She tried but\u200b failed to \u200bstage a comeback\u200b. Then she took her own life.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The scandal also raised more serious accusations. Since Ms. Kim\u2019s death, her family has said Mr. Kim started dating her when she was a minor, and that after they parted, a talent agency he founded had pressured her over a \u200bdebt she was unable to repay. Mr. Kim has denied the accusations \u200bagainst him, and filed a defamation lawsuit against Ms. Kim\u2019s family.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">But the scandal has already begun burning Mr. Kim\u2019s career and highlighted the perils of \u200bcelebrity in South Korea, where personal lives can come under unforgiving scrutiny. Stars have seen their careers ruined \u2014 or even <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/11\/25\/world\/asia\/goo-hara-kpop-suicide.html\" title=\"\">ended their own lives<\/a> \u2014 because of aggressive and sometimes malicious online rumors over everything from plastic surgeries to their romantic life.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-1\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cSouth Koreans treat entertainers like public figures who must live up to textbooklike ethical standards,\u201d said Bae Kug-nam, the author of several books about South Korea\u2019s entertainment industry.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">That culture \u200bhas created a deadly trap when combined with YouTubers and other influencers who have dished out sensational details of \u200ba star\u2019s personal life, Mr. Bae said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Ms. Kim, a former child star, faced such an onslaught when she got into a drunk-driving incident in 2022. Amid a public furor, advertisers deserted her. Roles were canceled. Ms. Kim left Mr. Kim\u2019s agency Gold Medalist after the incident, but still owed\u200b it for a large loan that was used to pay penalties for failing to fulfill contracts with production companies and advertisers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-2\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">A lack of risk management training leaves many South Korean entertainers badly prepared for such \u200bcrises, said <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/jeongseob.kim.184\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Jeongseob Kim<\/a>, a professor at the Graduate School of Culture Industry and Arts at Sungshin Women\u2019s University in Seoul. To them, a scandal often means financial\u200b devastation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-3\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cStars reach incredible heights,\u201d Prof. Kim said. \u201cBut they don\u2019t realize that tall peaks mean deep valleys until they get into trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Ms. Kim\u2019s relationship with Mr. Kim became news when she briefly posted an old photo on \u200bher Instagram last year. The photo showed the two with their cheeks touching and triggered a frenzy of speculation, although Mr. Kim denied a dating relationship.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Kim faced a full-blown scandal last month after \u200bMs. Kim\u2019s family took her story to <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC0M-_02RJqMlGTKUjF1WhJg\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">HoverLab<\/a>, a YouTube channel\u200b best known for carrying sensational content. HoverLab has released photos, video clips and text messages that it said backed its claims that Mr. Kim began sexually grooming Ms. Kim when she was under 16 and that he ignored her when she was in financial trouble.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Kim and his agency have denied the claims and filed lawsuits against HoverLab as well as Ms. Kim\u2019s family, accusing them of spreading fabricated evidence, blackmailing the actor and violating his privacy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Several days before Ms. Kim posted the photo last year, she had received a notice from Mr. Kim\u2019s agency demanding repayment of her debt. The agency said that the notice was just a procedural step, but her family\u2019s lawyers said she felt pressure and sought help from Mr. Kim.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-4\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cShe tried but could not reach Kim Soo-hyun,\u201d said Boo Ji-seok, \u200bher family\u2019s lawyer. \u201c\u200bShe posted the photo briefly, hoping that \u200bit would prompt him to call her back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Only under growing pressure \u200bfrom Ms. Kim\u2019s family did Mr. Kim say last month that he had dated \u200bher for a year, after she became an adult. Ms. Kim\u2019s \u200blawyers insist that \u200btheir romantic relationship lasted six years, from 2015\u200b.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Kim said that his denial last year was driven by \u200bhis fear of the damage his admission would cause. \u201cI had so much to protect,\u201d he said during a tearful news conference on Monday, explaining that a drama series in which he stars, <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt27668559\/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1'\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">called \u201cQueen of Tears,\u200b\u201d<\/a> was being shown on television at the time. \u201cWhat would happen to the actors performing alongside me, the staff who were working overnight on set and the production team who had everything staked on that project?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Brands have begun \u200bdropping him from their advertisements. \u200bLocal media reported that he could face huge penalties if the scandal \u200bjeopardized projects \u200bhe has been involved in, including a <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pinkvilla.com\/entertainment\/kim-soo-hyuns-knock-off-release-hits-breaks-disney-updates-drama-status-to-this-post-press-con-on-kim-sae-ron-dating-scandal-1380070\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Disney+ show.<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cIt will be difficult for him to maintain his \u200bcurrent status,\u201d said Prof. Kim. \u201cThe system rarely allows a second chance.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-5\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\"><em class=\"css-2fg4z9 e1gzwzxm0\">If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or go to <\/em><a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"http:\/\/speakingofsuicide.com\/resources\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><em class=\"css-2fg4z9 e1gzwzxm0\">SpeakingOfSuicide.com\/resources<\/em><\/a><em class=\"css-2fg4z9 e1gzwzxm0\"> for a list of additional resources.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\"><em class=\"css-2fg4z9 e1gzwzxm0\">In South Korea, call 109 for the Health Ministry\u2019s suicide prevention hotline, or go to the Korean-language site <\/em><a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.129.go.kr\/109\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><em class=\"css-2fg4z9 e1gzwzxm0\">129.go.kr\/109<\/em><\/a><em class=\"css-2fg4z9 e1gzwzxm0\">.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/04\/02\/world\/asia\/kim-sae-ron-suicide-soo-hyun.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When Kim Sae-ron was found dead at her home in February, she joined a growing list of South Korean entertainers who have ended their own lives. But the actress, who was 24, has generated more headlines in death than in life as her relationship with an older male superstar has come under scrutiny. The tragedy [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":272758,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/04\/02\/multimedia\/Kim-Sae-ron-01-cqgk\/Kim-Sae-ron-01-cqgk-facebookJumbo.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[170908,142131,3800,172321,8976,209584,62623,1517,8385,6967,1512,24069,6987],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/272757"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=272757"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/272757\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":272759,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/272757\/revisions\/272759"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/272758"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=272757"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=272757"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=272757"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}