'Parasite' Actor Lee Sun-kyun Has Died at 48 in the Midst of Drug Trial
The South Korean actor was found unconscious in his car and was later pronounced dead.
Today, news broke that South Korean actor, Lee Sun-kyun has passed away at age 48. Best known for his role in award-winning movie, Parasite, the veteran actor was reportedly found unconscious in a car in a park in Seoul and was later pronounced dead. The police are in the midst of investigating the cause of death though there is suspicion that Lee took his own life as he is currently undergoing trial for drug allegations and the police shared that Lee had left home after writing a note. The contents of that note has not been revealed as of writing this article. Lee was married to actress Jeon Hye-jin and the two have two young sons.
In the past months, Lee has been making headlines as the South Korean public scrutinise his police investigation and subsequent court trial after he was suspected for taking illegal drugs with a hostess at a bar in Seoul. Lee had said that he did not know that the hostess had given him illicit drugs and denied accusations that he has taken drugs at the hostess' home several times. He also offered to take a lie detector test in order to prove his innocence. Results from his drugs tests as part of the investigation have all come back negative or inconclusive, according to local news reports. Prior to this scandal, Lee had a squeaky clean, family man public image which has since been tarnished due to the drug allegations.
Lee featured as the main character in numerous films and popular television series such as Coffee Prince and Pasta, gaining widespread recognition throughout the 2010s as well as being part of the Hallyu wave occuring internationally during that time. His ascent to global stardom came through his portrayal of Park Dong-ik in Parasite, where he played the father of the affluent Park family that becomes the target of infiltration by impostors from a less privileged household. The movie achieved a remarkable feat at the 2020 Oscars by clinching four awards, notably the coveted best picture accolade, marking the first instance of a non-English language film securing this prestigious prize. Lee was set to be part of the cast of upcoming mystery drama, No Way Out but was later replaced since the drug scandal broke.
The police are still investigating his death and little has been confirmed or revealed as of writing this article. Lee's agency, HODU&U Entertainment, pleaded to the public in a statement, "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."
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