Daul Kim

Kim's talents extended beyond modeling. She was a keen painter, holding a solo exhibition of her artwork in Seoul on 10 August 2007. She also collected antique forks and kept a blog titled 'I Like to Fork Myself.' She had a tattoo of a star on the inside of her left hand. Her June 2009 nude appearance in i-D sparked criticism in Korea, reflecting the pressures she felt from the industry. She had long voiced struggles with loneliness, insomnia, and depression, feelings she expressed through her blog and paintings. In April 2007, she wrote postings expressing angst and self-harm, at one point writing 'I am going to smash my face...' before adding 'KIDDING. I'm fine. Just tired.' In October 2009, during New York Fashion Week, she described herself as 'mad depressed and overworked' on her blog. The demands of the fashion industry took a heavy toll, and she sometimes dodged calls from her agents because she felt overworked.

Kim died on 19 November 2009 in Paris at the age of 20. She was discovered hanged in her apartment, and the Paris prosecutor's office ruled her death a suicide, finding a note at the scene. Her last blog post, titled 'Say Hi to Forever,' included the song 'I Go Deep' by Jim Rivers. She became the ninth South Korean celebrity to die by suicide that year. Her life and career were cut tragically short, but her story remains a poignant reminder of the pressures faced by those in the public eye. She is remembered as a talented model and artist whose potential was never fully realized.