South Korean actor Kim Sae-ron, a former child star who appeared in the 2023 Netflix drama “Bloodhounds,” has died at the age of 24.
Kim was found dead at her home in Seoul on Sunday afternoon, according to The New York Times. Police told the Times the death was a suicide.
Kim had been a rising star in South Korean cinema after featuring in “A Brand New Life” (2009), which received international acclaim and was shown at the Cannes Film Festival. She also appeared in “The Man From Nowhere” (2010), “The Neighbor” (2012) and “A Girl At My Door” (2014), among other credits.
Her career took a hit after she crashed her car into a guardrail in 2022 in a drunk driving incident that drew fierce backlash from the public. She was convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol in April 2023, according to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency.
Much of her role in Netflix’s “Bloodhounds” was edited out after the incident, and she also subsequently withdrew from two other acting roles, according to Variety.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic news of Kim Sae-ron’s passing. May she rest in peace,” Gold Medalist, her former agency, said in a statement shared by Variety.
A handful of South Korean celebrities have died in suspected suicides in recent years. The country’s public are known to put intense scrutiny on entertainment stars over missteps and perceived transgressions, which has been linked to a mental health crisis in the industry.