South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, best known for his role in the Oscar-winning film Parasite, has been found dead. The actor, 48, was found unconscious in a car in one of Seoul’s main parks on Wednesday.
It is unclear if Lee took his own life, but police said they received a report that he had left home after writing a note. He had been under investigation for alleged drug use since October.
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.
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.
Police said they regretted that Lee had died amid investigations, but that the inquiry had been “conducted with [his] consent”, News1 Korea reported.
He briefly spoke to reporters in late October before entering an Incheon police station to meet with investigators.
“I sincerely apologize for causing great disappointment to many people by being involved in such an unpleasant incident,” he said at the time, adding, “I feel sorry for my family, which is enduring such difficult pain at this moment.
A graduate of South Korea’s prestigious Korea National University of Arts, Lee made his acting debut in 2001 in a television sitcom titled Lovers. He later won acclaim for his performances in a variety of roles, but globally, he is best known for his portrayal of the wealthy and shallow patriarch in director Bong Joon-ho’s 2019 Oscar-winning film Parasite.
His last film, this year’s horror flick Sleep – in which he played a husband whose sleepwalking eventually leads to horrifying circumstances – was well received critically and featured in the Critics’ Week section at the Cannes festival.
He is survived by his wife Jeon Hye-jin and two sons.
