South Korean actor Lee Sun-Kyun, who got recognition for the Oscar-winning movie Parasite, recently passed away. On December 27, 2023, multiple local news outlets reported that the 48-year-old actor had died by suicide after police found him unconscious in a car in Central Seoul at 10:30 a.m. KST. He was in the middle of investigations about alleged drug use.
As per reports, the police confirmed the actor’s identity after receiving a call from his manager. According to Yonhap, the police received a message indicating Lee Sun-Kyun had left home after writing a note. Ahead of his death, the actor was already in the middle of several investigations, with the last one concluding on Sunday, December 24, 2023.
Lee Sun-Kyun death: Actor found unconscious inside a car
As per local news reports, an unconscious man, who police later confirmed to be Lee Sun-Kyun, was unresponsive inside his car. The police also found a charcoal briquette in the passenger seat. Moreover, a fire official confirmed to Yonhap that the Parasite actor wasn’t taken to a hospital “as he was pronounced dead.”
Confirming the shocking news, Lee Sun-Kyun’s agency released a statement stating, “This is Hodu&U Entertainment. Actor Lee Sun-kyun passed away on December 27th. He has no way to contain his sorrow and despair. We respectfully ask that you refrain from spreading false facts based on speculation or speculation and malicious reports based on them so that the deceased’s final journey will not be unfair.”
The agency further revealed that the late actor’s funeral will be held “quietly with the bereaved family and colleagues in attendance.”
Lee Sun-Kyun previously completed three rounds of police investigations and questioning. Investigations began over suspicions of the actor using illegal drugs, including marijuana, at the home of a hostess in Seoul’s Gangnam district. Meanwhile, the actor claimed that the hostess tricked him into taking the drugs.
Yonhap further reported that the actor tested negative in the reagent test and the lab-based drug test conducted by the National Forensic Service in November 2023.
Lee Sun-Kyun is famous for his breakthrough roles in dramas, including Coffee Prince, Diary of a Prosecutor, and movies like The King’s Case Note and Helpless. The actor leaves behind a vast filmography, including the 2020 movie Parasite.
