Parasite director Bong Joon-ho has accused South Korean police of chasing the star of his Oscar-winning film to his death with their high-profile investigation into his alleged drug use.
Lee Sun-kyun was dragged into police interrogations in front of the country's media three times in as many months before he was found dead in his car on December 27.
He was accused of taking ketamine and marijuana at a hostess' home, but insisted he was the victim of extortion in the socially conservative country.
His latest police interview lasted 19 hours into Christmas Eve night, and Bong used a nationally televised news conference on Friday to accuse police of leaking information to the media.
“We are calling for an investigation into whether there were security issues related to the police investigation,” he said, along with other directors, producers and writers.
Parasite director Bong Joon-ho accused police of leaking information about their investigation
Lee Sun-kyun, a South Korean actor who starred in the Oscar-winning film Parasite, was found dead at the age of 48 as part of a police investigation into alleged drug use after a bar hostess claimed the star had used marijuana and ketamine
Lee's role in the Oscar-winning film about a poor family who breaks into a rich family's home catapulted him to stardom, winning Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best International Film. .
“Clear legislative improvements are needed to ensure that principles and exceptions are not confused between the human rights of suspects and the public’s right to know.”
Lee, 48, rose to fame in the West playing a wealthy patriarch in the groundbreaking 2020 film, which became the first foreign-language film ever to win best picture at the Oscars.
He celebrated further success last year with a nomination for Best Actor at the International Emmy Awards for his performance in the science fiction thriller Dr. Brain.
But after his arrest in October, he was abandoned by his agent and excluded from a number of major projects.
Lee insisted he had not knowingly taken illegal drugs and passed toxicology tests: He demanded a lie detector test at the time of his death to determine whether he or the hostess – known only as “A” – were telling the truth.
He claimed she tried to blackmail him and filed a criminal complaint.
“I would like to sincerely apologize again for causing concern to so many people,” he said after his initial questioning on October 28 at the Nonhyeon police station in Incheon.
“I will answer all questions truthfully.”
“A” tricked me into taking drugs. “I didn’t know that what she gave me was illegal drugs.”
Lee starred as the father of a wealthy family in the global blockbuster Parasite
“Parasite” was the first non-English language film to win Best Picture at the Oscars (pictured in February 2020 at the Academy Awards in Hollywood).
Lee's wife Jeon Hye-jin (pictured) reportedly found a suicide note from her husband before raising the alarm
Lee is pictured Dec. 23 (left) arriving at the Incheon City Police Station in South Korea to be questioned about his drug use
“I would like to sincerely apologize again for causing concern to so many people,” he said after his initial questioning on October 28 at the Nonhyeon police station in Incheon.
Police are seen covering a vehicle believed to be where Lee took his own life on Wednesday
The scandal dominated front pages in Korea, and a day before his death, Lee's lawyer admitted that his client felt “burdened” by appearing in public to discuss the allegations.
Lee's wife Jeon Hye-jin, a former Miss Korea contestant, raised the alarm after finding a suicide note, and Lee's body was found in a Seoul parking lot.
His death is the latest in a long line of untimely and often gruesome deaths to plague South Korea's upper echelons as the country grapples with a series of deadly misfortunes and a deepening mental health crisis.
“We share the same belief that something like this should never happen again,” Bong’s group said in a statement.
“We will demand investigations by investigators to find out the truth, call on media companies to delete articles that do not correspond to their role as media, and call on the authorities to revise the law to protect the human rights of artists.”
The county police chief who interviewed Lee defended his handling of the investigation. Incheon Metropolitan Police chief Kim Hui-jung said at a news conference that the entire operation was justified and carried out with Lee's approval.
He said the questioning during Lee's three public appearances was necessary to hear his opinion and took place in the presence of his lawyer.
“The investigation into the deceased was carried out on the basis of specific reports, witness statements and evidence and within the framework of procedures prescribed by law,” he added.
Yoon Hee-keun, the commissioner general of the National Police Agency (NPA), denied that improper investigations led to the actor's death.
He added that he would look into investigative practices, YNA reported.
A hearse carries the late actor's coffin during his funeral ceremony in Seoul today
Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who was a human rights lawyer before entering politics, was among those who criticized police practices and high-profile media coverage of the case.
“The practice that causes tremendous damage to a person's honor and character, such as excessively placing a person in front of a media photo op and pushing them to make the extreme choice, must now end,” Moon said Facebook.
The investigation is part of a crackdown by the government of conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has called it a “war on drugs.”
The country's strict drug laws have seen a number of high-profile arrests, including heirs to corporations and celebrities. Anyone found guilty of drug abuse and drug trafficking is punished with a prison sentence of up to 14 years.