Lee Sun-kyun, the South Korean actor renowned for his role as the affluent patriarch in the Oscar-winning film "Parasite," was discovered dead in an apparent suicide in a Seoul park on Wednesday, according to officials in the capital.
Lee, 48, whose character met a gruesome end in the groundbreaking 2019 film – South Korea's first Oscar winner, faced police questioning three times in connection with allegations of illegal drug use during a government crackdown. One interrogation session lasted 19 hours over the weekend. The actor claimed he was deceived into taking drugs by a bar hostess attempting to blackmail him, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
Authorities located Lee during a search prompted by a missing person report, with the actor found in a car at a Seoul park after his manager reported him missing, along with an apparent suicide note. Lee's agency, HODU&U Entertainment, did not respond to calls, but domestic media reported that the agency released a statement expressing sadness at his death while urging caution regarding false information, speculation, or malicious reports.
Lee Sun-kyun, born in 1975, had prominent roles in South Korean films like the 2012 thriller "Helpless" and 2014's "All About My Wife," as well as the acclaimed 2018 TV series "My Mister." He played the lead role in Apple TV+'s inaugural Korean-language original series, "Dr. Brain," a six-episode sci-fi thriller released in 2021, where he portrayed a neurologist investigating a mysterious family accident through brain experiments.
Lee is survived by his wife, award-winning actress Jeon Hye-jin, and their two children. His death comes as a significant loss to the South Korean entertainment industry, especially after his impactful contribution to the global success of "Parasite."
