The tragic story of late actress Kim Sae Ron has taken another sad turn as a phone recording revealed that she struggled with hospital bills after a self-harm attempt, leaving her with millions of won in debt to her agency.
On March 24, journalist Lee Jin Ho released a video titled “Late Kim Sae Ron’s Final Recording – The Heartbreaking Hospital Bill Controversy, Why?”
In the video, he revealed that Kim Sae Ron attempted an extreme act last year, leading to expensive medical bills of around 5 million won per visit. She reportedly had her agency cover the fees in advance, agreeing to repay them later as a loan.
Some netizens questioned whether the medical costs were unusually high or if the agency took advantage of her situation. Addressing this, Lee Jin Ho explained, “The typical cost for emergency sutures is between 400,000 to 1 million won, but Kim Sae Ron’s case was different.”
To support his claim, he shared a recorded phone call where Kim Sae Ron spoke to a friend about her medical expenses. In the recording, she said, “The ligaments and tendons in my arm are torn, and I need surgery. But this isn’t covered by insurance, so I need 5 million won.”
According to the National Health Insurance Service, self-inflicted injuries are not covered under health insurance, as stated in Article 53 of the National Health Insurance Act.
Lee Jin Ho also pointed out that Kim Sae Ron did not turn to her family for financial help, saying, “In situations like this, most people ask their family for support first. It seems she didn’t want to burden them.” He added, “It appears that her life was extremely lonely and difficult.”
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