‘Parasite’ actor Lee Sun-kyun found dead

He South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, a member of the cast of the Oscar-winning film ‘Parasites’, He was found dead today while being investigated for a case of alleged drug use, Yonhap news agency reported.

Lee, 48, was found unconscious in a car parked in a park in central Seoul at 10:30 a.m. local time this Wednesday (1:30 GMT), the media reported.

A charcoal briquette was found in the passenger seat, and police were told Lee had left an apparent farewell note at his home, leading them to believe he took his own life.

Lee was under investigation on suspicion of being consumed marijuana and other illegal drugs in South Korea at the residence of a hostess who works at an upscale bar in South Korea. Gangnam district on several occasions since the beginning of the year.

The actor was subjected to three interrogations, the last one last weekend, in which he was interrogated for 19 hours, and he told the investigators that the said lady tricked him into consuming substances without him knowing what he was taking.

Lee tested negative for drugs in a reagent test he underwent during the investigation, as well as in a laboratory test conducted by the National Forensic Service in November.

Yesterday, the translator submitted a request to the investigating police to undergo a polygraph test, claiming that he is innocent.

In October, Lee filed a lawsuit against two people, including the hostess in question, for blackmailing him after news of his alleged drug use surfaced.

The woman was arrested last month and police are believed to have requested an arrest warrant for another person, according to Yonhap.

Lee died at the height of his acting career, after participating in films such as the Oscar-winning ‘Parasite’ (2019) or the latest sci-fi series ‘Dr. Brain’ (2021), nominated for an Emmy at the time.

This year, Lee participated in two films, the acclaimed ‘The Dream’ (2023) and ‘Project Silence’ (2023), both screened at Cannes, although out of official competition.

Before participating in ‘Parasite’, Lee was already a renowned actor in South Korea for his performances in film, television and plays of various genres since the 2000s, including the TV dramas ‘The White Tower’ and ‘The Prince of Coffee’, while many of followers highlight his performance in the series ‘My Mister’ (My Lord, 2018).

In 2009, he won the Best Actor award at the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival for his role in the film ‘Paju’, a drama about the complicated relationship between a young woman and her brother-in-law.