Kim Sae Ron death: SF9's Chani mourns Heaven's Garden co-star, shares childhood PIC with actress

Chani remembered his time with Kim Sae Ron when they were child actors. See the picture the actor-singer posted.

By Peuli Bakshi

Updated on Feb 21, 2025 | 04:13 PM IST | 206.1K

Kim Sae Ron: courtesy of GOLDMEDALIST, Chani: courtesy of Chani's Instagram

Trigger Warning: This article contains mention of death.

Actress Kim Sae Ron (24) was found deceased in her Seoul residence on February 16. A friend stumbled upon her lifeless body and notified the police authorities at approximately 4:50 pm KST. The devastating news shocked her friends, family, fans, and well-wishers, who poured their heartfelt condolences. Her Heaven's Garden co-star, Chani, also mourned her death by posting a childhood picture with her on February 21.

It's been five days since her passing, but it is too soon for her near and dear ones to get over the great loss. SF9 member Chani (Kang Chan Hee) took to Instagram to share a white-blank post as a form of mourning for colleague and friend Kim Sae Ron. The next slide of the post consists of a childhood picture of the two, where they are seen smiling sweetly. The heartwarming photo appears to have been captured during the winter season, with the duo surrounded by snow. Given their appearance, it's likely that the picture was taken during their early days as child actors.

Chani first appeared in the music video for TVXQ's Balloons when he was seven years old. His first series was the 2019 historical drama Queen Seondeok. Kim Sae Ron also started her acting career at around the same age as him, with her first role project being the 2009 film A Brand New Life. She was nine years old then. The two of them worked together in several dramas during their early career days, like Listen to My Heart (2011), Heaven's Garden (2011) and The Queen's Classroom (2013).

Given their close age gap of just a year and their similar entertainment industry experience, it's likely that Kim Sae Ron and Chani developed a strong bond. With her untimely demise, her co-stars lost a friend and the industry lost a budding talent.