The award-winning Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, best known for his role in the Oscar-winning film Parasite, has passed away at the age of 48.
Mr. Lee was a well-known Korean TV and movie star, having graduated from Korea National University of Arts from its first-ever School of Drama class in 1994. Working predominantly in musical theatre after that, Lee made his first television debut in 2001 with the sitcom Lovers. It wasn’t until 2007 that he got his breakout role in the critically acclaimed medical drama White Towers and romantic series Coffee Prince.
Within Korea, Lee went on to take on a number of roles that honed his skills and earned him respect and recognition, such as the romantic comedy series Pasta (2010), thriller Helpless (2012), and the psychological drama My Mister (2018). A year later, he starred in Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, a film about class struggles in Korea that went on to win Best Film at the Academy Awards, the first non-English speaking film to do so, as well as earn him and his fellow castmates Screen Actors Guild awards.
Lee played the wealthy head of the Park family, Park Dong-ik, whose distaste over certain smells wound up getting him stabbed. Parasite brought Lee international recognition and fame. He was then cast as the lead in the series Dr. Brain, the first Korean-language show produced for Apple TV+, which also brought more acclaim as he was nominated for Best Actor at the 50th International Emmy Awards.
Yonhap reported that he was found dead in a car in central Seoul early Wednesday morning, in a suspected suicide. Police were alerted to the incident after he left home, leaving behind what appears to be a suicide note.
In October of this year, Lee was investigated under suspicion of using illicit drugs and was charged on suspicion of using cannabis and psychoactive drugs. This came at the same time as a nationwide anti-drug campaign, which has seen many notable figures come under scrutiny for drug use. Korea has an extremely strict attitude towards drugs, with President Yoon Suk Yeol declaring a “war on drugs” that has seen arrests soar in the last year.
Lee had been questioned three times by police over the event, reportedly claiming that he was tricked into taking the drugs by a bar hostess, who then blackmailed him. Had he been found guilty, he could have faced up to 6 months in prison, with Korean law going as high as 14 years for repeat offenders and dealers. He had reportedly already been removed from one of his projects due to the investigation.
In a statement, he said, “I sincerely apologize for causing great disappointment to many people by being involved in such an unpleasant incident, I feel sorry for my family, which is enduring such difficult pain at this moment.”
His body has been taken to Seoul National University Hospital, where his family has requested that he not have an autopsy, and his funeral will be held in private with his family. He leaves behind his wife Jeon Hye-jin and their two sons.
If you feel you are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. It is a free, 24-hour hotline, at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Your call will be connected to the crisis center nearest to you. It is a free, 24/7 service that can provide suicidal persons or those around them with support, information and local resources.
If you are in an emergency, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
The Trevor Project is a national 24-hour, toll free confidential suicide hotline for LGBTQ youth. Call the TrevorLifeline. We are always here: 1-866-488-7386.
(featured image: Barry Brecheisen/Getty Images)
