As the Associated Press reports, South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun was found dead by police in his car in a park in Seoul on Wednesday morning, December 27, 2023. Police were previously looking for the award-winning actor after his family alerted authorities. Previously, Lee Sun-kyun left his house in the early morning hours and probably left a suicide note at home. Authorities believe it was suicide.
Recently, there was a police investigation against the Korean star. He was accused of using drugs. He defended himself by saying that he was misled and did not know what he was taking, and that he was then blackmailed. South Korea has particularly strict penalties for drug crimes. Over the weekend, the actor was reportedly questioned for about 19 hours in connection with the case.
Lee Sun-kyun: from TV to Hong Sang-soo and Oscar fame with ‘Parasite’
Born on March 2, 1975, Lee Sun-kyun started his career in theater and as a supporting actor in film and television before making his first breakthrough in his home country in 2007 with the TV series “Coffee Prince”. He first attracted attention at an international film festival in 2009 with the drama ‘Paju’. He subsequently appeared in front of the camera several times for master director Hong Sang-soo (including in “Night and Day” and “Oki’s Movie”). He also made his mark on genre cinema with the thriller “A Hard Day” and the action film “The Attack”.
But he is of course best known for ‘Parasite’. In Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar hit, he played the father of a wealthy family whose life is overrun by a poorer family. He then starred in the AppleTV+ series “Dr. Brain” (see article image) on camera and was nominated for Best Actor at the International Emmys.
With the musical comedy ‘Killing Romance’, the fantasy thriller ‘Project Silence’ and the horror comedy ‘Sleep’, three new films starring Lee Sun-kyun celebrated their world premieres in 2023. There is no German release date for these films yet. A new series with him, “Payback: Money and Power,” also aired in South Korea early this year.
Suicide is no way out!
on the TelefonSeelsorge websiteWebsite of the German Association for Suicide Prevention