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 and scandal has embroiled Kim Soo-hyun, 37, one of South Korea’s best-known actors, 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’s richest stars. She tried but failed to stage a comeback. Then she took her own life.
The scandal also raised more serious accusations. Since Ms. Kim’s 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 debt she was unable to repay. Mr. Kim has denied the accusations against him, and filed a defamation lawsuit against Ms. Kim’s family.
But the scandal has already begun burning Mr. Kim’s career and highlighted the perils of celebrity in South Korea, where personal lives can come under unforgiving scrutiny. Stars have seen their careers ruined — or even ended their own lives — because of aggressive and sometimes malicious online rumors over everything from plastic surgeries to their romantic life.
“South Koreans treat entertainers like public figures who must live up to textbooklike ethical standards,” said Bae Kug-nam, the author of several books about South Korea’s entertainment industry.
That culture has created a deadly trap when combined with YouTubers and other influencers who have dished out sensational details of a star’s personal life, Mr. Bae said.
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’s agency Gold Medalist after the incident, but still owed it for a large loan that was used to pay penalties for failing to fulfill contracts with production companies and advertisers.
A lack of risk management training leaves many South Korean entertainers badly prepared for such crises, said Jeongseob Kim, a professor at the Graduate School of Culture Industry and Arts at Sungshin Women’s University in Seoul. To them, a scandal often means financial devastation.
“Stars reach incredible heights,” Prof. Kim said. “But they don’t realize that tall peaks mean deep valleys until they get into trouble.”
Ms. Kim’s relationship with Mr. Kim became news when she briefly posted an old photo on her 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.
Mr. Kim faced a full-blown scandal last month after Ms. Kim’s family took her story to HoverLab, a YouTube channel 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.
Mr. Kim and his agency have denied the claims and filed lawsuits against HoverLab as well as Ms. Kim’s family, accusing them of spreading fabricated evidence, blackmailing the actor and violating his privacy.
Several days before Ms. Kim posted the photo last year, she had received a notice from Mr. Kim’s agency demanding repayment of her debt. The agency said that the notice was just a procedural step, but her family’s lawyers said she felt pressure and sought help from Mr. Kim.
“She tried but could not reach Kim Soo-hyun,” said Boo Ji-seok, her family’s lawyer. “She posted the photo briefly, hoping that it would prompt him to call her back.”
Only under growing pressure from Ms. Kim’s family did Mr. Kim say last month that he had dated her for a year, after she became an adult. Ms. Kim’s lawyers insist that their romantic relationship lasted six years, from 2015.
Mr. Kim said that his denial last year was driven by his fear of the damage his admission would cause. “I had so much to protect,” he said during a tearful news conference on Monday, explaining that a drama series in which he stars, called “Queen of Tears,” was being shown on television at the time. “What 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?”
Brands have begun dropping him from their advertisements. Local media reported that he could face huge penalties if the scandal jeopardized projects he has been involved in, including a Disney+ show.
“It will be difficult for him to maintain his current status,” said Prof. Kim. “The system rarely allows a second chance.”
If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources.
In South Korea, call 109 for the Health Ministry’s suicide prevention hotline, or go to the Korean-language site 129.go.kr/109.
