Parasite star found dead amid drug use allegations
South Korean actor Lee Sunkyun, best known for his role in multiple Oscar-winning film Parasite, has died, authorities said yesterday.
Lee, 48, was found dead in a car in a central Seoul park by police yesterday, the South Korean emergency office said.
The actor’s body was taken to Seoul National University Hospital after officers located his car near Waryong Park, said officials.
According to South Korean media outlets, including the Yonhap news agency, authorities were searching for Lee after his family filed a missing person report.
He had left home earlier yesterday after writing an apparent suicide note.
The actor has been part of an investigation since October over accusations of illegal drug use. Lee had been questioned by the police three times, and as a result, decided to drop out of his latest project, No Way Out,a coming thriller drama.
Lee, born in 1975, first gained attention in South Korea for his role in the popular drama series Coffee Prince in 2007.
He found mainstream popularity with the medical drama Behind The White Tower. This was followed by Pasta in 2010, the romantic comedy All About My Wife in 2012, and black comedy A Hard Day in 2014.
Lee gained international fame for his role in the dark-comedy thriller Parasite in 2019, directed by Bong Joon-ho. The film won the best picture, best director, best original screenplay and best international feature film in the 2020 Academy Awards.
Lee played the role of Park Dong-ik, the head of a wealthy family, whose home is secretly taken over by the destitute Kim clan. Lee’s performance won him an Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in the 2020 Screen Actors Guild Awards.
He also played the lead in Apple TV+’s first Korean-language original series, Dr Brain, released in 2021.
The six-episode sci-fi thriller follows a cold-hearted neurologist who is hunting for clues through brain experiments after the mysterious death of a family.
Lee’s performance won him a nomination for Best Actor at the 50th International Emmy Awards in 2022.