‘Parasite’ actor Lee Sun-kyun found dead in midst of drug probe, police say

By Yoonjung Seo and Jessie Yeung, CNN

Seoul, South Korea (CNN) — South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, known internationally for his role in the Academy Award-winning film “Parasite,” has died while being investigated for illegal drug use, police confirmed Wednesday. He was 48.

Police in the capital Seoul said in a statement they had received a missing person report from Lee’s manager on their hotline. Lee, who received acclaim for his role as Park Dong-ik, the father of the wealthy Park family in “Parasite,” was found in his car on Wednesday morning.

The cause of death is “presumed to be suicide,” police said.

Photos from the scene on Wednesday show personnel in forensic outfits investigating a car cordoned off by police tape.

Police in the city of Incheon confirmed that Lee had been questioned three times since October as part of an investigation into alleged drug use.

Lee had been summoned by police most recently on December 23 and held for 19 hours before he was released the following day.

Throughout the investigation, Lee’s drug tests had all come back negative, Incheon police said, without specifying how many tests he had taken.

Lee had claimed he was tricked into using drugs and subsequently blackmailed by the same individual, police said. Lee filed a lawsuit against the alleged blackmailer, according to police, who added they had received a tip about his alleged drug use before he filed suit.

One man and one woman have been arrested in relation to the drug investigation, police said. On December 26, he had requested police through his lawyers to conduct a polygraph examination of himself and two other people police apprehended.

The police also offered their condolences to the actor’s bereaved family, saying they had tried to prevent media leaks about his drug investigation before its completion – in accordance with South Korean law, which prohibits those involved in a criminal investigation from releasing facts about the suspect before a public indictment is released.

Police in Seoul said Lee’s family did not want an autopsy to be conducted.

A funeral for Lee will be held “quietly” with family members and colleagues in attendance, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported Wednesday, citing his agency, Hodu & U Entertainment.

“Actor Lee Sun-kyun passed away today,” the company said, according to Yonhap. “There is no way to contain the sorrow and devastated feelings.”

“Please refrain from spreading false information based on speculation or assumption,” the company added.

CNN reached out to the agency for comment and did not immediately hear back.

Various media events in South Korea’s entertainment business have been scrapped in the wake of Lee’s sudden death.

The director and cast of South Korea’s hit film, “12:12: The Day,” canceled an event on Thursday where it had intended to meet with fans in celebration of the film surpassing 10 million in ticket sales.

The South Korean network tvN also canceled an event where it would present a new drama on Wednesday afternoon.

Strict drug laws

​​South Korea has some of the world’s strictest drug laws. The most serious drug-related crimes such as trafficking and deal can be punishable by up to life in prison, police told CNN, and citizens can also be charged for taking drugs abroad.

Drug laws have in the past forced celebrities in South Korea to retreat from stardom, as scandals have led to actors’ contracts being canceled and movie releases being postponed.

In October 2022, South Korea’s justice ministry announced it would establish a government-wide cooperation system in response to increased drug use in the country. Earlier this year, President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged to “mobilize all capabilities of the entire government to achieve victory” in his war on drugs.

Lee, whose career spanned more than two decades and made him a household name domestically, shot to international fame after his performance in “Parasite,” which became the first non-English film and first South Korean film to win best picture at the Academy Awards in 2020.

He also won praise for his roles in the 2007 television series “Behind the White Tower,” the 2010 series “Pasta,” and the sci-fi thriller series “Dr. Brain,” for which he was nominated for an International Emmy Award.

His last film, the horror movie “Sleep” – in which he played a husband whose sleepwalking becomes increasingly grotesque – premiered this summer. It was warmly received by critics and praised by “Parasite” director Bong Joon-ho.

Lee leaves behind his wife, the renowned Korean actress Jeon Hye-jin, and their two sons.

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This is a developing story and has been updated.