Last June, Representative Bae introduced a new bill called the “Korean Coogan Law,” inspired by the American Coogan Law of 1939. The new law aims to protect the income of children and teenagers working in the entertainment industry from exploitation. The discussion came in the wake of the highly controversial scandal involving actress Kim Sae Ron.
Unlike the American law, which requires 15% of an underage entertainer’s income to be deposited in a legally protected bank account, the Korean law proposes placing 50% of the income in a mandatory trust account. This account can only be withdrawn by court order until the entertainer reaches adulthood.
Kim Sae Ron began her career as a child actress in the 2009 film A Brand New Life, playing a girl abandoned at an orphanage. However, she achieved great fame with her appearance in the 2010 film The Man from Nowhere, alongside actor Woo-bin. Her role as So-mi, a child actress, caught the attention and earned her the title of “miracle child actress.”
Despite the actress’s wealth from her successful acting projects and advertising revenue, she has suffered from massive financial crises and family debts exceeding 1.2 billion Korean won. According to several sources, Kim Sae Ron loaned her father 500 million Korean won at the age of 14 and never received anything back after he went bankrupt. She also revealed that she spent all of her money on supporting her family.
After Kim Sae Ron’s drunk driving accident in 2022, which led to her being dropped from several projects, it was revealed that the car she was driving at the time of the accident was her only asset. Several actors and singers have also confirmed that they lent her money after she begged for money.
Singer “A” revealed that he loaned Kim Sae Ron a total of 20 million won on two occasions between 2023 and last year. Although the exact amount has not been disclosed, two other celebrities have admitted to lending the deceased money in response to her pleas due to her financial distress. Furthermore, the deceased is said to have claimed to have borrowed a large sum of money from a famous rapper. The loan was reportedly deposited into an account in Kim Sae Ron’s family name.
This law is expected to be an effective step in protecting the wealth of minors working in the entertainment industry and providing them with a more stable environment. Some netizens consider it a precedent in South Korea and may prompt other Asian countries to adopt similar regulations.
Korean Netizens React:
- I saw this on a Korean wiki, but when Saeron was younger, she was called a “child actress specializing in 19+ roles.”
- Doing one major project like “Uncle” is fine; even some tentpole films (major hits) at the time at least attempted to imitate something resembling “mental care.” However, as a minor, she performed many roles that I would have rejected completely if I were her guardian. ㅠ
- To me, this is more like child abuse than mere exploitation or blackmail.
- I just think such a law is necessary so that when they become adults, they can use the money they accumulated as minors to either choose a different path or invest in continuing on that path of their own free will. The wages they receive aren’t just pocket money.
- It doesn’t seem like a far-fetched story; such cases abound, even among ordinary people.
- It’s the father who went to withdraw the insurance money even after his daughter’s death. This alone can give us an understanding of what this family was like. As for the issue of reputation and such, it’s also ultimately related to money, and there’s no need to discuss it.
- Sarun’s parents can’t even be considered real “parents,” ah… ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
- It’s really necessary; there are many cases where children start working at a young age and become the breadwinners for the family.
