Daul Kim

Nicole Daul Kim, known professionally as Daul Kim (; May 31, 1989 – November 19, 2009) was a South Korean model, painter and blogger. She died by suicide at the age of 20.

Career Kim was born in Seoul, South Korea, on 31 May 1989. In South Korea, she appeared on the covers of South Korean Vogue in August 2007 and May 2008 and in Harper's Bazaar in July 2008. She also modelled for H&M and Gap.

In 2008, Kim co-authored Seoul's Treasure House with fashion editor Jeon Hyo-jin. Published by V-Book on July 25, 2008, the 208-page book explores Seoul's shops, restaurants, cultural spaces, and other locations through the perspectives of its two authors. Kim contributed a series of interviews and reports under the section “Daul Report”, as well as a section titled “Daul's Behind”, which covers her experiences in New York, London, Paris, and Seoul.

In 2008, Kim was named Model of the Year by the Japanese fashion magazine An An. .

On April 30, 2007, Kim wrote "I am going to smash my face... My life as Daul was so miserable and lonely. Please join my loneliness in another world. I love you all. Daul", but later added, "KIDDING. I'm fine. Just tired."

On October 30, 2009, during New York Fashion Week she left a post on her blog describing herself as "mad depressed and overworked".

At 9:30 a.m. on November 19, Kim's body was discovered hanged in her 10th arrondissement apartment in Paris.

Her note was reported as stating: "I relate to nothing. The more I gain, the more lonely it is." Models.com published a remembrance on the day of her death, while Simon Ungless, director of fashion at the Academy of Art University, described her as “a true creative spirit who was equally an artist and a model.” Contemporary reporting also described the death as prompting discussion about the pressures of high-fashion modeling and the relationship between professional success and personal well-being.

Published works

Music videos: Park Hye-kyung – "Yesterday" (2006) Nell – "치유" ("Healing") (2006)