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Kim Chang-min, indie film director, dies aged 40

Published: 09 Nov. 2025, 15:54

Director Kim Chang-min [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Indie film director Kim Chang-min died on Friday at the age of 40. His organs were donated to four people, his family said Sunday.

"On Oct. 20, my brother collapsed due to a cerebral hemorrhage, and on Nov. 7, he was declared brain-dead," his sister wrote on Facebook on Sunday. "He then gave four people the gift of life through organ donation before returning to the Lord.”

Kim died of a cerebral hemorrhage at 1 p.m. on Friday. Born in 1985, he is known for his work on multiple indie movies. He made his directorial debut in 2016 with "Certain Someone’s Daughter" (translated), followed by "Guui Station Exit No. 3" in 2019. "Certain Someone’s Daughter" follows the story of a girl who moves to escape the stigma of being the daughter of a convicted sex offender. Kim received the Best Director Award at the Police Human Rights Film Festival in 2016.

“Even when he was struggling, he was someone who genuinely wanted to help others," said Pastor Park Yong-gyu, from the church Kim attended. "He gave 100 percent of himself to everyone — a truly righteous friend.”

The wake is being held in Room No. 1 of Hanyang University Guri Hospital’s funeral hall. The funeral procession will take place at 6 a.m. Monday, and Kim will be laid to rest at Bundang Memorial Park.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JUNG SI-NAE [[email protected]]