The South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, known for his role in the Oscar-winning film "Parasite," was discovered deceased in a car at a park in Seoul on Wednesday in what appears to be a case of suicide, according to authorities in the South Korean capital. This tragic incident occurred after he was reported missing.
At the age of 48, Lee, who portrayed the patriarch of an affluent family in the 2019 movie, underwent extensive police interrogation on three separate occasions due to allegations of illicit drug usage. These inquiries occurred as part of a government-led crackdown, with one of the sessions lasting a staggering 19 hours over the weekend.
According to the Yonhap news agency, the actor claimed that he had been deceived into consuming drugs by a bar hostess who was attempting to extort him.
At first, police and emergency personnel came across Lee in what appeared to be an unresponsive condition inside a vehicle parked on a street in northern Seoul. Subsequently, emergency responders confirmed his passing, as reported by Seoul's Seongbuk police station.
Seongbuk police stated that they initiated a search for Lee, aged 48, upon receiving a report indicating his disappearance. The cause of death is “presumed to be suicide,” police said.
Lee's agency, HODU&U Entertainment, said 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."
