Her Private Life star Kim Bo Ra penned a heartfelt letter for late actor Kim Sae Ron, 49 days after her tragic death. Bo Ra, who has starred in multiple hits like Blackout, Sky Castle, Touch and more, called Sae Ron her “youngest” and opened up about their friendship — from how Sae Ron loved receiving letters to how she was so committed to work that she barely found time to eat. Bo Ra’s letter comes at a time when top K-drama star Kim Soo Hyun has been accused of dating the Bloodhounds actor when she was still a minor. Interestingly, in her note, Bo Ra wrote, “When you were 11 and I was 16,” clearly suggesting that she had known Sae Ron ever since she started working as a child actor.
Her Private Life star Kim Bo Ra pens heartfelt letter to Kim Sae Ron
“We first met at an audition. You kept chattering next to me as if I was so amazing,” Kim Bo Ra shared in a handwritten note on her social media on April 5. “Then you became a middle schooler, then a high schooler. Then, suddenly, you were driving. You loved receiving letters so much that I had fun writing you notes even when it wasn’t your birthday — sometimes by text, sometimes handwritten. Looking back at my photo album, I see what kind of emotions I had back then. My youngest, who hated the cold… And, of course, it’s raining again. Don’t fall down, silly. Just accept this letter,” her full note read, translated via KBI Zoom.
Melalui instastory IGnya, #KimBora sampaikan pesan menyentuh di hari ke-49 meninggalnya mendiang #KimSaeRon
“Waktu kamu 11 tahun, aku 16 tahun, kita pertama ketemu di tempat audisi, kamu kayak penasaran banget sama aku, sampe ngobrol terus di sampingku lama banget.”
“Dari… pic.twitter.com/1tHnSoTBZr
— UPDATE KDRAMA NEWS (@infodrakor_id) April 5, 2025
Also read: K-drama star Seo Ye Ji’s cyberbully identified with ties to Kim Soo Hyun’s agency
Sae Ron was 24 when she passed away. In 2021, a DUI case forced her to leave several shows, including Netflix’s Bloodhounds, which removed her mid-way and cut her scenes. One after another, controversies plagued her career to the point that she had to work part-time at a café, being the sole breadwinner of the house. According to the outlet, the two actors were so close that they even shared home passcodes. The letter was accompanied by a short video of the friends during their pink hair era. She captioned the video, “You often forget to eat because you talk too much, now eat first before talking, okay?”
Kim Sae Ron and Kim Soo Hyun dating controversy
In February, after Kim Sae Ron’s death, a YouTube channel named GaroSero Research Institute accused top Korean star Kim Soo Hyun of being one of the reasons behind her emotional distress, claiming that the actor dated her when she was just a kid. The controversy kept growing, with GaroSero’s host Kim Se Ui releasing alleged evidence in the form of letters, texts, and photos exchanged between the two actors from their initial dating days to prove his point. The alleged materials were reportedly provided by Kim Sae Ron’s family, who demanded Soo Hyun apologise.
They later claimed that Gold Medalist, the agency Sae Ron was once associated with and which also happens to be co-owned by Soo Hyun and his cousin Lee Sa Rang, pressured the actor and sent her a certified letter demanding 700 million won in damages following her DUI controversy. In return, Soo Hyun denied the claims multiple times and even held a press conference on April 1, admitting that he did date Sae Ron but only when she was an adult. He has now filed a lawsuit against both Kim Sae Ron’s family and YouTuber Kim Se Ui for defamation.
