Death of South Korean actor at 24 sparks discussion about social media and internet culture
SEOUL — South Korean actor Kim Sae-ron's death this week has triggered an outpouring of grief and calls for changes to the way the country's celebrities are treated in the public arena and on social media, which critics say can foster a culture of harassment.
The 24-year-old, who began her career as a child actor and earned acclaim for her roles in several domestic films, including the 2010 crime noir 'The Man from Nowhere,' was found dead by a friend at her home in the country's capital, Seoul, on Sunday. Her death was assumed to be a suicide. National Police Agency has said it does not suspect foul play and that Kim left no note.
Once among the brightest stars on South Korea's vibrant movie and television scene, Kim struggled to find work after a 2022 drunk driving incident, for which she was later fined in court.
Online posts in South Korea are notoriously harsh toward celebrities who make missteps, especially women, and Kim faced constant negative coverage from news organizations that capitalized on public sentiment.
Newspapers and websites criticized her whenever she was seen partying with friends, or when she complained about her lack of work and nasty comments on social media. She was even criticized for smiling while filming an independent movie last year.
Following Kim's death, several of the country's major newspapers on Tuesday published editorials and opinion pieces lambasting the toxic online comments about the actor. Some invoked the 2019 suicide deaths of K-Pop singers Seol-li and Goo Hara and the 2023 death of 'Parasite' actor Lee Sun-kyun while calling for a change in the 'harsh, zero-tolerance' culture toward celebrities.
The Hankook Ilbo newspaper said the country's media outlets were part of the problem, lamenting that some outlets continued to exploit Kim for clicks even after her death, using provocative headlines that highlighted her past struggles.
The watchdog Citizens' Coalition for Democratic Media on Tuesday criticized news organizations for blaming social media without considering their own 'sensational and provocative reporting.'
Born in 2000, Kim began her acting career at age 9 with the 2009 film 'A Brand New Life,' portraying a girl's struggles to adjust to a new life after being left at an orphanage by her father. She rose to stardom with 'The Man from Nowhere,' which was one of the biggest hits in the South Korean movie scene that year and won her a domestic acting award.
She starred in various movies and TV shows before the 2022 drunk driving incident.
Gold Medalist, Kim's former management agency, did not immediately answer calls for comment.
Tong-Hyung writes for the Associated Press.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
105 South Koreans sue former president for ‘emotional damages'
SEOUL — It's been a season of legal woes for former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. His short-lived declaration of martial law on Dec. 3 first landed him in front of the Constitutional Court — which removed him from office later that month — and then in the Seoul Central District Court, where he is now being tried on charges of insurrection. There is also the group of 105 irate citizens suing Yoon for emotional damages related to his power grab, which sent special forces soldiers to occupy the National Assembly and brought the press briefly under military control. Filed shortly after South Korean lawmakers voted to overrule Yoon's martial law order last year, the lawsuit is demanding compensation of 100,000 won ($73) for each of its plaintiffs. The first hearing is due later this month. 'The defendant's declaration of emergency martial law and the actions that followed were unlawful, violating the plaintiffs' basic rights as South Korean citizens such as the freedom to one's life and body and the guarantee of human dignity, in addition to inflicting mental harm such as fear, anxiety, discomfort and shame,' the complaint said. Behind those words is Lee Gum-gyu, a 52-year-old attorney who specializes in urban development law, but has become nationally known for facing down presidents in their impeachment trials. The first was conservative president Park Geun-hye, whom Lee, as a member of the legislature's legal team, helped oust in 2016 following a major graft scandal. The second — and the only other South Korean leader to be removed from office — was Yoon. As a member of the National Assembly's legal team in the Constitutional Court trial that confirmed Yoon's impeachment, Lee used his closing argument to speak of the fear he felt for his son, who was a conscript in the military. 'The fact of emergency martial law itself filled me with fear, but the thought that my son might be deployed to enforce it was even more horrifying,' he said. The civil suit, he says, is largely symbolic — one final rebuke of Yoon. It is why Lee gathered exactly 105 plaintiffs: the number of pro-Yoon legislators who boycotted his impeachment. And the asking sum of 100,000 won ($73) each? 'I thought about keeping it at 10,000 won ($7.30), but that seemed like too little. My pride wouldn't let me,' Lee said. 'Obviously there isn't a formula for something like this, but 100,000 won just seemed more appropriate.' The success rate of emotional damages claims against former presidents is not high. The closest example is a series of similar suits filed by South Korean citizens against Park in 2016. They sought 500,000 won ($364) per plaintiff. But the Supreme Court dismissed those claims in 2020, saying that 'even if there were South Korean citizens who felt emotions like anger due to the defendant's actions, it cannot be said that this constituted a level of mental distress that necessitates compensation for every citizen.' Still, Lee figures that his suit against Yoon has at least a marginally higher chance of success, given the far graver offense at hand. 'The case against Park was related to corruption — it wasn't a case of the president unconstitutionally infringing on people's basic rights,' he said. 'The martial law forces actually went to the National Assembly and pointed their rifles at legislators and their staff. I do think that people's right to life was directly threatened.' Some legal experts agree. 'I am also curious whether this will work or not,' said a judge in Seoul who requested anonymity to comment on an ongoing case. 'Under current jurisprudence, I don't think it's entirely impossible.' Given South Korea's history with authoritarianism, Lee argues, the claim to emotional distress isn't just courtroom theater. South Koreans lived under a dictatorship as recently as the 1980s. Political repression and violence are still part of the country's memory. The last declaration of martial law was made in May 1980 by the Chun Doo-hwan military junta, which sent special forces units to violently quash pro-democracy protests in the city of Gwangju. More than 160 civilians were killed, many of them gunned down by soldiers in the streets. Lee, who is from Gwangju, remembers watching a tank roll down the street behind his house as a child. 'The national trauma from those events led to a real and deep fear in many South Koreans,' he said. Han Ki-chang, a real estate agent and one of the 105 plaintiffs, says that he suffered from 'martial law insomnia.' The term entered the popular vernacular in the last few months and has been covered by the national media as an anecdotal phenomenon, with some older South Koreans saying it stirred panicked memories of living under authoritarian rule. 'It was real. I had trouble sleeping in January and February,' Han said. 'And I could tell I wasn't the only one. Whenever I'd message people or post in a group chat in the middle of the night, a lot of people would respond, saying they needed to sleep but couldn't.' At least one other group is preparing their own emotional damages lawsuit against the former president. Lee, the attorney, expects that there will be even more suits because he has been sending out copies of his complaint to anyone who wants it. They can just fill in their names and file their own. 'If we win this case, that might make it possible for all 52 million South Korean citizens to claim damages,' he said. He quickly did the math: at $7.30 per person, a total of $380 million.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘We got justice for Reba,' law sponsor reacts after governor signs into law
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – Those behind Assembly Bill 381, also known as 'Reba's Law,' spoke with 8 News Now after Governor Joe Lombardo signed it this week. 'We made it, we did it,' Nevada Assemblymember Melissa Hardy said. 'We got justice for Reba.' Assemblymember Hardy talked about the movement that made waves across the country and in Las Vegas. 'We've said it from day one,' Lindsey Pinapfel of Vegas Pet Rescue Project said in a past interview. 'She is the start, she is the movement.' Reba the English Bulldog was found sealed in a plastic tub in the triple-digit heat in July 2024. Reba, dog found sealed in tub in triple-digit heat, passes away Her death and the anger it inspired led to months of community activism, including a $50,000 reward for information in her case, nearly 50 billboards placed across Southern Nevada. Isaac Laushaul Jr., 32, and Markeisha Foster, 30, were arrested in December 2024 in connection with Reba's death. Each was charged with felony willful/malicious/torture/maiming/killing of a dog, cat, or animal. Community advocacy also inspired Assemblymember Hardy to sponsor the bill in Reba's name at the start of Nevada's 2025 Legislative Session. 'Such a great accomplishment, for not just me sponsoring the bill,' Assemblymember Hardy said. 'But everybody who's been involved in this.' Assemblymember Hardy shared her reaction when she found out Governor Lombardo signed AB 381 into law on Tuesday. 'I was just overcome with emotion and happiness and gratitude,' she said. 'All of it.' The legislation increases penalties for any person who willfully or maliciously hurts or kills an animal. The offense is now a Class B Felony, punishable by one to six years in prison and a $10,000 fine. It was previously a Class D Felony with a penalty of one to four years in prison and a $5,000 fine. 'I think it will be a deterrent that Nevada made a statement,' Assemblymember Hardy said. 'That we are not going to allow animals to be abused and tortured.' Another provision of the law applies to animals left in hot cars. If a person comes across a pet locked inside a hot car without air conditioning, they can call 911 or animal control and then use 'any means necessary' to get into the vehicle and save the animal. The person then must wait with the animal and the car until authorities arrive. If all steps are taken, the person will not incur any civil or criminal liability for damages, according to the law's verbiage. 'I was really excited that this was included in there,' Assemblymember Hardy said of the provision. 'Just strengthens this even more.' She called the movement a win for Southern Nevada and a way to protect other animals from Reba's same fate. 'Her story was tragic and horrible, and what she suffered, but now we can talk of Reba and the good that came of this,' Assemblymember Hardy said. 'We have a platform now, and there's awareness about it.' Reba's Law also applies to police dogs. If a person intentionally disables or kills a K-9 on duty, they will face a Class B Felony charge. Foster took a plea deal, which brought her down to a lesser charge. On May 16, documents were filed by Laushaul's attorney asking a judge to move his case from Clark County because of intense media coverage, instead wanting the trial to happen outside of Las Vegas. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
FHP searching for suspects after high-speed crash, chase on I-95
The Brief Three suspects fled after a suspected street race and crash. No injuries were reported, but one motorist's vehicle was hit. Brevard deputies and FHP deployed K-9 and air units in the search. VIERA, Fla. - Florida Highway Patrol troopers are searching for multiple suspects who fled on foot after a high-speed crash on Interstate 95 in Brevard County. What we know The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a suspected street racing incident that led to a crash on I-95 in Brevard County. The crash occurred near State Road 520 in Cocoa. The three occupants fled the vehicle on foot and remain at large. What we don't know Authorities have not released the identities of the suspects or confirmed whether the vehicle was stolen. It is also unclear whether any surveillance or dashcam footage may help in identifying those involved. The backstory The crash happened after the vehicle in question was allegedly racing near Exit 191 in Viera. Witness accounts and police reports suggest the car was traveling at high speeds before hitting another vehicle and coming to a stop. Brevard County deputies and FHP responded swiftly, deploying air and K-9 units. What they're saying The incident began near Exit 191 in Viera and ended roughly 10 miles north at State Road 520 in Cocoa. Investigators say the suspects had been racing on the highway before their car crashed, prompting all three occupants to run from the scene. A woman identified only as Sabrina said her vehicle was sideswiped by the Charger during the crash. "All of a sudden, this Dodge Charger-looking car just smashed into the side of my car, took out the whole side front end," she said. "I'm blown away right now. I'm in shock." She described a heavy law enforcement presence immediately following the crash. "They're searching for them, running around with ARs and everything," she said. The Brevard County Sheriff's Office responded with patrol deputies, K-9 units, and an aviation team to assist FHP. "Our deputies responded along with our K9s and our aviation unit," said sheriff's spokesperson Tod Goodyear. Two sheriff's office patrol vehicles were damaged while responding to the scene. No injuries were reported. "Luckily, in this case, there were no accidents on I-95 involved in this pursuit," Goodyear said. "The only accident was the vehicle itself." STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source This story was written based on information shared by the Brevard County Sheriff's Office and the Florida Highway Patrol.
