Lee Sun-kyun, a popular South Korean actor best known for his role in the Oscar-winning film “Parasite,” was found dead in a car in Seoul on Wednesday after weeks of intense police investigation into his suspected drug use, authorities said use with.
Police and rescue workers initially found Lee in what they believed to be an unconscious state in a car parked on a street in northern Seoul. According to Seoul's Seongbuk Police Station, rescue workers later confirmed that he was dead.
Police were searching for 48-year-old Lee after receiving a missing person report, Seongbuk police said.
They declined to provide further details, including whether they had determined that Lee had killed himself. But South Korean media, including Yonhap News Agency, said Lee's family reported to police on Wednesday that he left home after writing a message that resembled a suicide note.
According to Seongbuk police, Lee's body was later transported to a nearby hospital in Seoul.
Actor Lee Sun Kyun attends the red carpet of the Midwest premiere of “Killing Romance” at AMC New City 14 on October 7, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. Barry Brecheisenn/Getty Images
Lee appeared in “Parasite,” which won the 2020 Oscar for Best Picture and three other categories. The class satire was the first non-English language film to win Best Picture in the Academy Awards' then 92-year history and was the first South Korean film ever to win an Oscar. In the film, Lee played the head of a wealthy family.
In 2021, he won a Screen Actors Guild Award in the Cast in a Motion Picture category for his role in the same film. Also for his performance in the science fiction thriller “Dr. Brain,” he was nominated for Best Actor at the International Emmy Awards last year.
Even before “Parasite,” Lee had long been a popular actor in South Korea. He became famous for his role in the hit TV drama series “Coffee Prince (2007)” and gained popularity with the medical dramas “Behind The White Tower” (2007), “Pasta (2010)” and “My Mister” (2018) .”
Lee was the subject of a police investigation into allegations that he had consumed illegal drugs at the home of a bar owner. The investigation sparked extensive tabloid coverage. According to Yonhap, Lee insisted that he was tricked into taking the medication and that he did not know what he was taking.
The scandal led to the loss of several acting projects, AFP reported. According to Portal, a first-time drug conviction in South Korea can result in a prison sentence of six months and up to 14 years for repeat offenders. According to AFP, South Korea's laws are so strict that Koreans who legally use drugs abroad can still be prosecuted when they return home.