Kim Saelong, a Korean actress known for her roles in films such as “Brand New Life” and “Man From Anywhere” has passed away. She was 24 years old.
According to Reuters, Kim is dead at her home, a police officer with knowledge of the incident said Sunday. Officials said police are investigating the cause of death but no additional details were provided.
A friend who was planning to meet the actress visited her house, found her and called the police, South Korean news agency reported. According to Yonghap, police did not find any foul plays.
Kim began acting at the age of nine, making her debut in the 2009 Korean film “A Brand New Life,” and was screened at the Cannes Film Festival that year. In that review, Variety praised the young actress for her “focused and thoroughly convincing” performance.
The following year, Kim appeared in “The Man From Anywhere.” The action thriller became the best-selling film in Korea in 2010, surpassing domestic Inception and Iron Man 2.
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Kim was also known for films such as “I Am A Dad” and “A Girl at My Door.” The latter was screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2014. Seongyong Cho wrote that he was “exceptional” in “Brand New Life,” which he “made a breakthrough with an amazing debut performance.”
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On the TV side, Kim appeared on shows also known as “Hi! School: Love On,” “Secret Healer,” and “Mirror of the Witch.” She recently appeared in the Netflix series “Bloodhounds,” which debuted in 2023.
In 2022, her acting career was a hit after being caught up in a drunken driving incident. According to a translation by the Korean entertainment website Soompi, Kim apologized in an Instagram statement at the time for making “a big mistake while drunk.”
“I have no excuses for this unfortunate incident. I feel so embarrassed and disappointed myself with the mistake I made,” she said. “I will reflect deeply and reflect again in order to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. Sorry.”
Contributions: Reuters, Jumin Park