SEOUL:
South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, known for his role in the 2020 Oscar-winning film “Parasite,” passed away at the age of 48 on December 27 morning.
His lifeless body was discovered in a car in a central Seoul park. Lee had been the subject of a police investigation regarding alleged illegal drug use. The Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency had been looking into his involvement along with seven others.
Lee, who recently faced extortion claims, asserted he was a victim of blackmail and had suffered significant financial losses. Police had questioned him multiple times, including as recently as last Saturday, in connection with his alleged drug use at the residence of a high-end bar hostess earlier this year, where he insisted he was deceived about the substances consumed.
Lee’s agency, HODU&U Entertainment, said: “There is no way to contain the sorrow and despair. We respectfully ask that you refrain from spreading false facts based on speculation… so that (Lee’s) final journey will not be unfair.”
There has been extensive interest around the investigation, which caused considerable damage to Lee’s reputation. He was dropped from No Way Out, a mystery TV series that began shooting in October.
The actor, who was married to and had two sons with actress Jeon Hye-jin, had an acting career spanning more than two decades.
He rose to international fame as Park Dong-ik in ‘Parasite’, the father of the wealthy Park family which was later infiltrated by members of a poor family posing as unrelated individuals.