After the police announced Kim Sae Ron’s suicide, the public realized that her passing had many similarities with the ill-fated star Sulli.

Korean showbiz once again shows the harshness of negative comments from netizens, which can push a star to the end of the road. The passing of young actress Kim Sae Ron – who was dubbed “acting genius” made many people remember the tragic death of Sulli. Both stars passed away at the age of 25. They had things in common that made many people startled and sad.

Sulli (left) and Kim Sae Ron have many painful similarities.

They are all talented child stars.

Kim Sae Ron and Sulli were both child stars, highly praised when they were young. Kim Sae Ron was born in 2000, and entered the entertainment industry at the age of 9 through the movie A Brand New Life . Meanwhile, Sulli was born in 1994, and is a child talent in both singing and acting. Sulli’s real name is Choi Jin Ri, and she debuted as a child actress in the historical drama Ballad of Seodong in 2005, when she was 11 years old.

Kim Sae Ron started acting at the age of 9 in the movie A Brand New Life.

As child stars, both Kim Sae Ron and Sulli attracted attention and received many compliments for their beautiful looks and natural talent. After entering the entertainment industry, both appeared in many works and achieved success.

After her role at the age of 9, Kim Sae Ron immediately received an acting award. The actress was considered a potential star when she left her mark through many works such as A New Life, Anonymous, Listening to the Heart … Even at a young age, Kim Sae Ron was honored to appear at the Cannes Film Festival at the age of 9 and 14.

The girl born in 2000 was once called an “acting genius”.

Meanwhile, Sulli was accepted into supporting roles in the films  Love Needs A Miracle at the age of 11, Vacation at the age of 12, Drama City and Punch Lady at the age of 13, BA:BO at the age of 14. At the age of 15, Sulli officially became a member of the idol group F(x). Since then, Sulli’s name has spread throughout Asia. The young star has developed her talents in both singing and acting, receiving 2 SBS Drama Awards. In addition, Sulli has also become a trusted face for many brands to advertise.

Sulli rose from a child actress to fame as a talented singer and actress.

The pressure of child stardom

Becoming famous early for Kim Sae Ron and Sulli is the dream of many people, but it also puts a lot of pressure on both of them, and it can even become a tragedy for the two child stars.

Kim Sae Ron started out as a child star and had to endure a lot of pressure from being famous from a young age.

Kim Sae Ron’s childhood was full of pressure from the media and public opinion. She once said that she had to go to film when she had a fever of 40 degrees. Kim Sae Ron worked alone to earn money because she had to take care of her depressed mother and two younger sisters. She became famous on television but became a victim of school violence and was insulted by her friends. The actress once said that she often saw curses on the walls at school. Therefore, she decided to finish high school at home with a private tutor.

Kim Sae Ron is a victim of school violence.

Sulli also had to endure the pressure and loss of freedom when she became famous too early. When she was just over 10 years old, Sulli became the favorite student of the president of the famous entertainment company SM Entertainment. Along with that, she always had to make an effort not to disappoint the expectations of her famous teacher as well as the high expectations of those around her.

From here, every action and statement of the girl born in 1994 was scrutinized. “ I had to endure a lot of pressure and often felt insecure. There were times when I felt scared. If people told me to do something, I would do it, even though I didn’t understand the purpose of those actions,” Sulli once shared her heartbreaking story about what she had to endure when becoming a celebrity.

Sulli’s image in the documentary about her life made viewers cry.

Common points related to actor Kim Soo Hyun

One special thing in common in the careers of these two female stars is related to actor Kim Soo Hyun. The last movie Sulli starred in was called Real . This is the movie she co-starred with Kim Soo Hyun in 2017. Before the movie was released, Sulli attracted attention with the introduction of her hot scene. Sulli plays a physical therapist while Kim Soo Hyun’s character is an ambitious man working for the underworld. The movie is rated 19+ because it has many violent and emotional scenes between the two main characters. Sulli’s nude scenes and bed scenes were leaked and spread on social networks, causing Sulli’s image to collapse, becoming a scandal.

Sulli and Kim Soo Hyun at the premiere of the movie Real.

In 2024, Kim Sae Ron caused a stir when she suddenly posted an intimate photo with Kim Soo Hyun on her personal page, then quickly deleted it. That was when Kim Soo Hyun was very famous for his role as the male lead in the movie Queen of Tears . He was even rumored to have a “fake love story” with co-star Kim Ji Won. Kim Sae Ron’s posting of a personal photo, very intimately cheek-to-cheek with Kim Soo Hyun, caused her to face criticism. Kim Soo Hyun’s side also spoke up immediately afterwards, saying that the two were just in a relationship within the same entertainment company.

Kim Sae Ron and Kim Soo Hyun are from the same entertainment company.

Victim of cyber violence, 25 years old gone forever

Psychological instability appeared and silently killed these two famous girls. After Kim Sae Ron’s death on February 16, 2025, people learned that she had been suffering from depression. When her career was developing, she was involved in a drunk driving scandal, forced to temporarily stop working in the entertainment industry, even had to compensate for many advertising contracts and had her contract terminated by the company. At the time of the scandal, the company stood up to compensate for the contract for Kim Sae Ron and the amount she owed was up to 700 million won (more than 12 billion VND).

Kim Sae Ron was accused of gambling during the scandal.

Financial difficulties increased when Kim Sae Ron almost fell into unemployment. Even when working part-time at a coffee shop, she was criticized because netizens thought she was fake. She continuously had to endure public criticism for her actions and statements. For a long time, the name Kim Sae Ron was only associated with gossip and scandal. Just a few months before turning 25, Kim Sae Ron committed suicide.

Kim Sae Ron faced a scandal and was attacked by cyber violence to the point of depression.

Sulli was found hanged in her home on October 14, 2019. Her biological brother, who is also her manager, had not been able to contact her since the afternoon of the previous day. A letter Sulli wrote to her brother was also found.

Sulli’s passing at the age of 25 shocked the Korean entertainment industry.

Before her death, Sulli lived through months of continuous criticism. She was judged by some media channels and netizens to have an “unconventional” lifestyle just because of her free and liberal style of dress. Several times Sulli wanted to express her support for Women’s Day. She declared her support for the no-bra movement. Therefore, she was subjected to continuous cyber violence with a series of posts attacking her on social networks.

Sulli was criticized by Korean netizens for her liberal way of dressing.

“ I have to protect myself. I’m exhausted but no one listens to me. I really feel so lonely ,” Sulli’s painful words made netizens feel even more heartbroken when they read them again.

After death only to be pitied

Many people believe that the extreme deaths of Kim Sae Ron and Sulli were the result of a wave of criticism in the Korean online community. It was only when they committed suicide that the public realized how pitiful their distress signals were. Then, after their deaths, the people who had pushed them to the brink turned around to feel pity and sympathy.

Sulli’s last photo on her personal page.

Not only Kim Sae Ron or Sulli, Korean showbiz has witnessed many heartbreaking cases like that. The bell about the indifference of “cyber violence” always rings in an entertainment industry that is too harsh, suffocating artists.