South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, known for his performance in the Academy Award-winning film Parasite, was reportedly found dead, as per a report on Yonhap news agency, which quoted the local police. The actor was 48.
As per reports, amid an ongoing crackdown on illegal drugs in the country, Lee was being investigated over illegal drug use. According to the news agency, on Wednesday morning, Lee was found unconscious inside a car, next to charcoal briquettes, at a park in Seoul. Having found Lee's suicide note, his wife reported the same to the police, which led to them tracking down the actor, Yonhap said.
The police had questioned Lee at least three times in the illegal drug usage case, once for over 19 hours over the weekend. As per the report, the actor alleged that a bar hostess tricked him into consuming drugs and was further blackmailed by her.
Drug laws in South Korea are known to be tough, and the punishment for drug crimes includes a minimum of six months in prison, which could go up to 14 years for repeat offenders and dealers.
In Parasite, Lee was seen as the father of a rich family. Other popular film credits of the actor include Helpless (2012), and All About My Wife (2014). He is known for Apple TV+’s first Korean-language original series titled Dr Brain, in which he played the lead role. In the six-episode series which premiered in 2021, he played Koh Se-won, a cold-hearted neurologist.
