Unforgiving gaze on female stars in Korea

By Kwon Mee-yoo The news of actor Kim Sae-ron's untimely death broke Sunday evening, shocking those who remember her impactful performance as So-mi in the 2010 film "The Man from Nowhere," when she was only 10 years old. Kim once seemed destined to grow from a successful child actor to a mature artist, but her life took an unexpected turn in 2022 when she was involved in an accident while driving under the influence of alcohol. The incident drew intense public scrutiny as she hit an electric transformer, causing a power outage that affected the neighborhood.

Although Kim issued a handwritten apology the next day, many criticized her for allegedly fleeing the scene without taking immediate action and for the damage incurred. Following the accident, she lost out on many roles, including some already filmed. Most of her scenes in Netflix's "Bloodhounds" were edited out and she was dropped from the series "Trolley.



" Only after her death did it become widely known that she had visited each of the 57 nearby businesses affected by the outage to personally apologize and offer compensation. Despite these efforts, public opinion remained harsh. In Korea, celebrities who commit misconduct such as DUI typically take time away from the spotlight for self-reflection before attempting a comeback — if they can.

But the judgment directed at Kim appeared far more unforgiving. With some 3.7 million followers on Instagram, Kim often faced hostile comments, accusing her of being “unreflective” or “immodest.

” Any social media updates from Kim seemed to spark negative attention. When she posted photos of herself wearing a cafe uniform in April 2023, about a year after the accident, news reports quickly framed this as if she were faking her financial hardships, especially after her lawyer had mentioned that the 20 million won fine was difficult for her to bear. Similarly, when she posted pictures with male acquaintances, rumors of marriage or dating spread.

Last March, a photo with fellow actor Kim Soo-hyun led to accusations that she was creating her own dating rumors to seek attention. Sensational entertainment news reports further fanned the flames of an already unfavorable public mood. Kim tried to make a comeback in the play “Dongchimi” last year, but she withdrew before its opening when the news of her casting met negative reactions.

Yet it is worth noting that many actors, singers and comedians do return to show business after months or years of self-reflection. Even Lee Jung-jae — now one of Korea’s most recognized actors, domestically and globally — faced two DUI charges in 1999 and 2002. Unless DUI offenses are repeated or result in fatalities, most entertainers get a second chance.

Kim’s passing at the age of 24 highlights the plight of women whose celebrity careers have stalled for far longer than their male counterparts, or who never recovered at all. Celebrities who commit drunk driving face heavy criticism in Korea, yet the backlash tends to be even harsher when the celebrity is a woman. This disparity stems not only from the nature of their alleged missteps — where men may be excused for more severe misconduct, while women are ostracized for far less — but also from how these actions are framed by social biases and media narratives.

Peter Jongho Na, a psychiatrist and Yale University professor, noted, “Driving under the influence is a serious mistake. If the punishment seems too lenient, then that points to a problem in the legal system. But a society that buries someone entirely without giving them any chance to start over doesn’t seem like a healthy society.

” These words serve as a reminder to challenge ingrained biases that result in harsher scrutiny of female public figures. Whether it involves a DUI incident or a social media post, it is important to consider facts objectively before forming negative opinions or fueling online harassment. It is only through such changes that we can hope to prevent the recurrence of tragedies like Kim’s death, ensuring a healthier, more just society where all individuals have the opportunity to recover and restart, regardless of gender.

Kwon Mee-yoo is editor of K-Culture Desk at The Korea Times..