According to Dispatch, Kim Sae Ron was under pressure of 700 million won in debt, and begged Kim Soo Hyun in vain, before passing away on her ex-lover’s birthday.

Debt Notice

On the afternoon of March 12, Dispatch posted information clarifying the relationship between Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron.

Accordingly, in March 2024, Gold Medal sent a debt collection notice to Kim Sae Ron, demanding the return of the compensation that the previous management company had paid on her behalf.

“On November 22, 2022, you borrowed 686,409,653 won from our customer and signed a consumer loan contract with a commitment to repay the debt by December 31, 2023. However, despite the payment deadline, you have not yet repaid the debt. If the entire loan amount (700 million won – more than 12.4 billion VND) is not transferred as soon as possible, we will take legal action on civil and criminal matters as soon as possible,” the notice said.

However, Kim Sae Ron is unable to repay the debt. The actress’s lawyer once shared: “Kim Sae Ron is the pillar, supporting her family members. She is having financial difficulties to compensate for the damage.”

Kim Sae Ron is the first artist to win a gold medal but the reincarnation contract failed. At that time, she could think of the remaining 700 million won debt that had been settled.

For Kim Sae Ron, “full transfer” and “legal measures” were more frightening than pressure. In the end, she sought help from Kim Soo Hyun.

Kim Soo Hyun’s SOS Message and Silence

Dispatch released Kim Sae Ron’s message to Kim Soo Hyun: “Hey, it’s me, Sae Ron. I received an official notice saying they’re going to sue me. They also sent me a detailed notice saying I have to pay it back immediately. They said if I don’t pay 700 million won, they’ll sue me. I can’t pay it back right away. Is it really necessary to sue? Please give me more time.”

Kim Soo Hyun did not respond. Therefore, Kim Sae Ron publicly released a photo of her pressing Kim Soo Hyun’s cheek to pressure him to speak up.

When Dispatch contacted Kim Sae Ron about the news “Kim Sae Ron is preparing to make a statement”, she denied: “I did not say I would make a statement. It seems that the statement that needed to be clarified was misunderstood”.

Kim Sae Ron did not want the issue to spread any further. The management company explained to Dispatch that they “decided not to accept the money considering Kim Sae Ron’s circumstances”.

Behind the official announcements

Dispatch is not sure if there was any conversation between Kim Sae Ron and the management company. Kim Sae Ron did not want news, the management company only issued a one-sided press release.

With 1 photo, Kim Sae Ron reduced her debt burden but was nicknamed “self-reported dating news”.

Gold Medalist stated: “We announce that Kim Soo Hyun’s dating rumor is completely untrue. It seems that the photo was taken when the two were still in the same management company. We completely do not understand Kim Sae Ron’s intention to act like this”.

When Kim Sae Ron passed away on February 16, 2025 – the same day as Kim Soo Hyun’s birthday – Dispatch asked the management company again about the debt payment issue.

Gold Medalist explained: “The production company of The Hunting Dogs requested 700 million won in compensation for the drunk driving accident. The company paid 700 million won on behalf of Kim Sae Ron”.

Regarding the reason for sending the official notice, they said, “We had no intention of receiving money from Kim Sae Ron. We thought we couldn’t receive it. We just did the basic procedures because there might be problems within the company.”

When asked about notifying Kim Sae Ron, the company replied, “I know that the manager at that time contacted Kim Sae Ron about this content. We also needed paperwork.”

Regarding Kim Sae Ron’s anxious reaction, the company explained, “We knew that we couldn’t receive such a large sum of money from Kim Sae Ron. We said, ‘You can pay it back when you have income or when you have the conditions.'”

Did denied love lead to a tragic death?

There is a difference between the management company’s statement and Kim Sae Ron’s actions. She seemed to be pressured by the official notice, and the message sent to Kim Soo Hyun proved it.

When Dispatch asked about the amount of compensation Kim Sae Ron paid after the accident, Gold Medalist said: “Kim Sae Ron’s car could not be repaired so it was sold as a used car, for about 35 million won (more than 600 million VND – PV). After that, we did not receive any more money”.

But according to Dispatch’s investigation, Kim Sae Ron was not indifferent. She used the profits from her investment in Golden S to pay the compensation.

Kim Sae Ron tried her best within her ability. She sold her car, convertible bonds, and other assets, using more than 200 million won (3.5 billion VND) for compensation.

The management company knew this situation well – she was unable to repay the debt. In such a situation, Dispatch questioned, why did they send an “official notice”? This is a point that is difficult to explain by saying that it was just a formality.

After Gold Medalist issued an official stance denying the relationship between Kim Sae Ron and Kim Soo Hyun, Dispatch sought to confirm the relationship through many channels. Many statements were closer to “the truth” than “falsehood”.

A person close to Kim Soo Hyun revealed: “Kim Sae Ron’s age is an issue, so they absolutely cannot acknowledge a romantic relationship”.

It is not yet possible to conclude that not confirming the relationship with Kim Soo Hyun led to Kim Sae Ron’s death. Many other issues such as press, YouTubers, public perception, failed comebacks, and personal issues are also related reasons, but the debt announcement and relationship denial are being considered as notable points in the management company’s handling.