SEOUL, Dec 27 — Lee Sun-kyun, a South Korean actor of the Oscar-winning film Parasite, was found dead, Yonhap news agency reported today, citing police.
Lee had been under investigation over illegal drug use allegations amid an ongoing government crackdown on illegal drugs.
Lee was found unconscious next to briquettes inside a car at a park in Seoul this morning, after his wife reported to police that Lee had left home and she had found what appeared to be a suicide note, Yonhap said.
Seoul’s Jongno police station did not immediately respond to phone calls.
Advertisement
South Korea has tough drug laws, and drug crimes are typically punishable by at least six months in prison or up to 14 years for repeat offenders and dealers.
Lee had been questioned three times by police, including for 19 hours over the weekend. The actor had said he was tricked into taking drugs by a bar hostess who then tried to blackmail him, Yonhap reported.
Born in 1975, Lee starred as a rich family’s father in Parasite, and also played leading roles in South Korean movies including the 2012 thriller Helpless and 2014’s All About My Wife, among others.
Advertisement
Lee had the lead role in Apple TV+’s first Korean-language original series, which rolled out in 2021. Dr. Brain, a six-episode sci-fi thriller, was about a cold-hearted neurologist, Koh Se-won, who tries to find clues to a mysterious family accident through brain experiments. — Reuters
* If you are lonely, distressed, or having negative thoughts, Befrienders offers free and confidential support 24 hours a day. A full list of Befrienders contact numbers and state operating hours is available here: www.befrienders.org.my/centre-in-malaysia. There are also free hotlines for young people. Talian Kasih at 15999 (24/7); and Talian BuddyBear at 1800-18-2327(BEAR)(daily 12pm-12am).
