Death of South Korean actor at 24 sparks discussion about social media and internet culture

South Korean actor Kim Sae-ron’s death this week has triggered an outpouring of grief and calls for changes to the way the country’s celebrities are treated in the public arena and on social media, which critics say can foster a culture of harassment. Once among the brightest stars on South Korea’s vibrant movie and television scene, Kim struggled to find work after a 2022 drunk driving incident, for which she was later fined in court. Some invoked the 2019 suicide deaths of K-Pop singers Seol-li and Goo Hara and the 2023 death of “Parasite” actor Lee Sun-kyun while calling for a change in the “harsh, zero-tolerance” culture toward celebrities. The watchdog Citizens’ Coalition for Democratic Media on Tuesday criticized news organizations for blaming social media without considering their own “sensational and provocative reporting.” Born in 2000, Kim began her acting career at age 9 with the 2009 film “A Brand New Life,” portraying a girl’s struggles to adjust to a new life after being left at an orphanage by her father.