Kim Sae-ron: Father of late actress requested housing deposit refund after death, but it wasn't in her name

According to a report by Money Today, her father appeared unaware of how her housing situation had been arranged and just one day after her funeral on February 18. He reportedly contacted the landlord of her apartment in Seongsu-dong, requesting the return of a lump-sum deposit of 50 million KRW (approximately £26,900) , assuming the deposit had been made under his daughter’s name.

However, the landlord informed him that the lease had not been registered under Sae-ron’s name. Instead, the deposit had been paid by an individual identified only as Mr. A, a close acquaintance of the actress and an executive at an educational institution. Mr. A had apparently helped Sae-ron during a financially difficult time, securing her housing without creating any legal obligations in her name.

Mr. A is said to have provided similar assistance for two residences — first in Nonhyeon-dong in 2023 and later at the Seongsu-dong unit where she lived until her passing. He reportedly chose to place the lease under his own name to avoid burdening Kim with additional paperwork or debt.

Another person, referred to as Mr. B, a singer and longtime friend of Sae-ron, is also reported to have contributed to the deposit for her Nonhyeon-dong apartment under similar conditions.

A real estate insider told Money Today that Sae-ron’s father seemed “genuinely unaware” of the arrangement and withdrew the request once it was explained. Despite her financial struggles, the insider added, Sae-ron continued to pay her rent on time by working part-time jobs.

Sae-ron, once regarded as one of South Korea’s most promising young actresses, had faced a steep career decline following a DUI incident in 2022, which resulted in public backlash and cancelled projects. She reportedly spent her final years largely out of the spotlight and struggling financially.

The Netflix’s Bloodhound star was found dead at her apartment on February 16 at the age of 24.

Meanwhile, her family is now involved in a separate dispute involving actor Kim Soo Hyun, following claims that he had been in a six-year relationship with Sae-ron, allegedly beginning when she was a minor. Soo Hyun and his agency have denied the claims, stating they only dated for one year and that it occurred after she became a legal adult.

Money Today also reports discrepancies in the evidence presented, stating: “From 2016 to 2019, both Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron were publicly known to be dating other people. There’s also no evidence Kim Sae Ron ever worked behind the scenes at Gold Medalist.”

It further claims that some images presented as proof of their relationship were either incorrectly dated or showed someone who was not Soo Hyun. One such clip, referred to as the “spicy chicken stew” video supposedly filmed at Soo Hyun’s house in 2018, was later confirmed to include multiple people and could not be used to verify a private relationship.