Parasite actor Lee Sun-kyun found dead at 48 amid drug investigations
Lee Sun-kyun was discovered unconscious in a car at a park in central Seoul.
South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, best known for his role in the Oscar-winning film Parasite, has been found dead at the age of 48. According to local media reports citing the police, Lee was discovered unconscious in a car at a park in central Seoul on Wednesday. A charcoal briquette was found next to him in the passenger seat.
The circumstances of his death remain unclear, but reports suggest that Lee had left home after writing a memo. The actor had recently been under police investigation for alleged drug use. A report in the news agency Yonhap indicated suspicions of drug consumption with a female bar employee.
Lee claimed that he had taken substances given to him by the hostess but was unaware that they were illicit drugs. Despite negative or inconclusive results from drug tests, the investigation had taken a toll on his reputation. He was dropped from the cast of the TV series No Way Out, which began filming in October.
The actor, who was married to actress Jeon Hye-jin and had two children, had a career spanning over two decades. He gained international recognition for his role as Park Dong-ik in Parasite, a film that won four Oscars in 2020, including Best Picture. He was bestowed with a Screen Actors Guild Awardalong with his castmates.