Police had been searching for him after his family claimed he wrote a suicide note before leaving home early. Hours later, authorities would find South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, star of Parasites, dead in a car in a park in downtown Seoul.
It was learned that the 48-year-old interpreter had been under police investigation for alleged illegal drug use. Lee claimed to be the victim of blackmail by another person under investigation and allegedly lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in extortion terms.
According to the South Korean media Yonhap, the police questioned the actor just a week ago for alleged use of marijuana and other drugs at the home of a hostess of a luxury bar in Seoul, an event that would have taken place earlier this year. Up to this point, what is known is that the actor claimed that he was deceived and that he did not know what he was taking.
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The investigation generated widespread sensational coverage in his country and rumors on the Internet, not only about his alleged drug use, but also about his private life. Lee filed a lawsuit against two people, including the woman who invited him to his home, alleging that he was blackmailed.
When he was first summoned for interrogation at a police station in the Incheon Police, a city near Seoul, in late October, the artist bowed several times and apologized to his fans and family. “I feel sorry for my family members, who are enduring too much pain right now. Again, I sincerely apologize to everyone.”, he remarked.
Incheon police said they would end their investigation into Lee's drug use allegations but would continue to investigate the two people Lee had sued.
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South Korea has strict anti-drug laws ranging from six months to 14 years in prison for repeat offenders and traffickers.
Remembered by Parasites
Lee Sun-kyun played the character of Mr. Park, the leader of the millionaire family whose wealthy home is infiltrated by members of a penniless family posing as highly skilled domestic workers, in a plan that ends in violence.
In 2020, the film won the Oscar in the best film category. It was the first non-English language film to win best picture in the 92-year history of the Academy Awards. It was also the first South Korean film to win these awards..
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The film's cast, including Lee, also won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture in 2020. Lee was also nominated for Best Actor at the Emmy Awards International for his role in the science fiction thriller Dr. Brain (2022).
Although the actor born in 1975 is remembered for the film that marked a milestone at the Oscars, throughout his career he became relevant for other performances in South Korean films, such as the 2012 thriller Helpless and All About My Wife, from 2014; as well as in the acclaimed 2018 television series 'My Mister'.
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