Kim Sae-ron’s Final Film Revealed After Her Tragic Passing

Following the sudden passing of actress Kim Sae-ron on February 16, it has been revealed that her final film is the music movie Guitar Man.

A close acquaintance of Kim stated to News1, “She had completed filming Guitar Man in early November last year and was in discussions about her next steps.” The film, which remains unreleased, marks her final work.

According to industry insiders, Kim had shown a strong desire to return to acting by joining Guitar Man last fall. “Post-production is currently underway, and while there were no other projects she was actively working on, she was preparing for a comeback,” a source shared.

On the same day, an exclusive report from Edaily revealed that Kim had recently changed her name to Kim Ah-im in an effort to make a fresh start, adding to the heartbreak of her passing.

Guitar Man tells the story of a genius guitarist who joins an indie band called Volcano. The film is directed by Lee Sun-jung, the lead vocalist and guitarist of the band Lee Sun-jung Band, who also plays a role alongside Kim.

A former child star, Kim Sae-ron made her debut in the entertainment industry at the age of 9 and built a career spanning 16 years across film and television. She first entered the industry in 2001 as a child model for Enfant magazine before transitioning to acting in 2009 with the Korea-France co-production A Brand New Life, directed by Lee Chang-dong. In the film, she played the role of Jin-hee, delivering a delicate and emotional performance. Her role in the movie made her the youngest Korean actress to walk the Cannes Film Festival red carpet.

She gained widespread recognition with the 2010 film The Man from Nowhere, starring Won Bin. The action thriller, rated R, was a massive box office hit with over 6 million admissions, earning Kim the nickname “The Man from Nowhere child actress.”

Kim continued to solidify her presence in the industry, starring in dramas such as Can You Hear My Heart? (2011), Mom Is Acting Up (2012), and The Queen’s Classroom (2013). She later returned to the big screen in 2014 with A Girl at My Door, where she starred alongside Bae Doo-na. This film led to her second Cannes appearance at the age of just 14.

Over the years, Kim received numerous acting accolades. She won Best New Actress at the 19th Buil Film Awards for A Brand New Life, the 8th Korea Film Awards for The Man from Nowhere, and the 35th Blue Dragon Film Awards, where she became the youngest recipient of the Best New Actress award for A Girl at My Door.

However, her career took a downturn in May 2022 when she was involved in a DUI incident that led to a serious car accident. At the time, she had been filming the Netflix series Bloodhounds, where she played Cha Hyun-joo, but most of her scenes were edited out following the controversy. She also stepped down from the SBS drama Trolley and was later banned from KBS broadcasts.

Kim attempted to return to acting last year through the play Dongchimi, but she withdrew just a day after her comeback was announced, citing health issues.

Tragically, police found Kim deceased at her home in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on February 16. She was 25. A friend reportedly discovered her body, and authorities have ruled out foul play, stating that there were no signs of forced entry or criminal activity. Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of her death.

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