The initial reports on the death of Kim Sae-ron did not mention suicide. It was evident. Everyone knew how this 24-year-old actress had died. There were many precedents. Too many identical cases. A young TV, film, or music star taking their own life because they couldn't bear the harassment on social media, the fierce media criticism, and the constant mockery by YouTubers profiting from hate.
South Korea, one of the countries with the highest suicide rates among young people, is once again facing a moment of introspection. The local press, which for years has been fueling sensational headlines about Kim's rise and fall, is now questioning what society and politicians can do to protect a successful generation that has propelled the South Korean cultural boom worldwide; a generation often overrun by the ruthless hysteria of fans who frequently cross all boundaries, becoming cyberbullies. This is compounded by the extreme pressure from an industry, the k-pop and k-drama industry, which nurtures phenomena at the same speed it discards them when they fail to meet strict moral standards.
Kim was found dead in her Seoul apartment on February 16. At the funeral, her father blamed a well-known YouTuber for her death. "His videos caused her deep emotional distress," the man said, pointing directly at the Behind_Master channel, which has over 620,000 subscribers and is run by a controversial journalist who made a name in tabloid journalism.
Behind a suicide, there is never a single cause but multiple factors of psychological, biological, and social nature that increase suffering and vulnerability, raising the risk. In most cases, these are preventable deaths. If you or someone you know needs emotional support for suicidal behavior, call 024, and in a crisis, contact 112.
Following Kim's death, the journalist turned YouTuber, Lee Jin-ho, removed the videos criticizing everything Kim did from his account. He had targeted Kim after she had an accident in 2022 while driving under the influence. She crashed her car into a transformer, leaving several nearby businesses without electricity.
The end of Kim Sae-ron's career
That incident plunged Kim into the prime of her career, starring in up to six major South Korean productions simultaneously. Her fans turned away. So did the industry. According to an AP search, South Korea's major media outlets had published up to 2,000 news pieces related to Kim, her accident, and her private life over two years, which continued to attract significant attention, exploited by commentators like Lee, who frequently fabricated news about her.
After the car accident, Kim was sidelined from series and movies. She started working as a waitress to make ends meet. Lee, the YouTuber, also mocked this, urging his followers to go to the café where she worked and insult her. Last year, Kim was set to return to acting in a play, but when this news became public, the wave of social media criticism forced her to abandon the project.
South Korea faces an issue with cyberbullying towards stars when they get involved in scandals, especially if they are women. The star of the acclaimed Squid Game, Lee Jung-jae, had two high-profile drunk driving incidents. However, unlike Kim, he was able to continue his career. This gender inequality is reflected in how scandals are handled. Famous men, after facing brief scrutiny, quickly reintegrate, while women often face ostracism. In 2019, one of the then-icons of k-pop, singer Sulli (25 years old), heavily criticized for advocating feminism, committed suicide after years of online harassment.
A month after Sulli's death, her close friend Goo Hara, 28 years old and former member of the group Kara, was found dead in her apartment. Goo had accused her ex-boyfriend of sexual abuse. He blackmailed her with releasing sexually explicit videos filmed without her consent. A few weeks later, the death of a singer and actor named Cha In-ha (27 years old) made headlines.
Another death in K-pop shakes the great Korean taboo: suicide
"In Kim's case, she was depressed due to the constant attacks she faced from the media and YouTube videos," says Kwon Young-chan, a psychologist who in 2015 opened the first suicide prevention center for celebrities in Seoul. "She had been receiving help for her depression. She wanted to recover, but she kept receiving a lot of hate on social media, and all attempts to rebuild her life were subject to intense scrutiny." When Kim started working at a café, her main critic, YouTuber Lee, even claimed that the job was a sham because the actress just wanted attention and to regain sympathy from her followers.
Kim had been famous since she was eight years old, landing her first leading role in a movie, A Brand New Life, and continued to succeed with several box office hits. In reality, she had debuted as a model on a magazine cover when she was just a 10-month-old baby.
Her downfall after the car accident - for which she received a fine of 20 million won, around 13,000 euros - made her so unpopular that production companies went as far as to edit or remove scenes in series where she appeared, like Bloodhounds, a Netflix drama from 2023.
Kim's death has once again highlighted the obsession surrounding South Korea's competitive culture of purity, of maintaining a flawless public image and achieving commercial success.
"The way our society discards those who have made mistakes or fallen behind, resembles a giganticSquid Game," says Na Jong-ho, a Psychiatry professor at Yale University. "The last thing I read about Kim was an article explaining that she was working part-time as a waitress due to her financial problems. I remember suddenly seeing negative reviews flooding the café where she worked. How many lives must be lost before we stop imposing a destructive shame that leaves no room to breathe?"
Kim's suicide is a wake-up call for an entertainment industry that, outwardly, has captivated millions of fans worldwide, becoming a significant source of national pride and economic power, as well as one of the greatest tools of South Korea'ssoft power. Inwardly, the suicide of the fallen young star is another reminder of the harsh reality behind a culture that often reveals its very toxic side.