Lee Sun-Kyun Death Cause: Who Was Lee Sun-Kyun? Parasite star Lee Sun-Kyun killed himself amid police probe after being tricked into taking drugs by a bar hostess. The actor was found in his car next to charcoal briquettes after leaving a suicide note for his wife. Also, find out about Lee Sun-Kyun’s age, career, wife, and children.
Lee Sun-Kyun Death Cause
On December 27, 2023, at 10:30 a.m., Lee, 48, was found dead inside his car Wednesday morning at a park in central Seoul. Lee’s funeral will be held at the funeral hall of Seoul National University Hospital.
His wife, Jeon Hye-jin, an actress and former Miss Korea contestant, called the police after finding a suicide note.
Lee was being investigated by police over allegations of using marijuana and a powder which his accuser, a hostess at a high-end bar, said was ketamine.
In October 2023, he was booked for an internal investigation over suspected drug use. As a result, he voluntarily dropped out of No Way Out, an upcoming thriller drama serial that just started its production days before the revelation of his alleged drug use.
On October 24, he was charged on suspicion of using marijuana and psychoactive drugs, according to Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency, and was summoned for questioning on the 28th.
He was also given a travel ban to prevent him from leaving the country during investigations. Initial test results of Lee’s hair samples revealed that he tested negative for drugs, and further investigations were expected as of November 2023.
He first requested the police to conduct an additional lie detector test through his lawyer. The complaint is that it is unfair to be accused of drug use in a situation where there is only Mr. A’s statement and no physical evidence
His three appearances at police stations for questioning were highly publicized, and made headlines: his lawyer, after his final session on December 23, asked that any further questioning be carried out in private, owing to the ‘burden’ of the spotlight.
He insisted he had not knowingly taken illegal drugs, and passed toxicology tests: he was demanding a lie detector test at the time of his death, to assess whether he or the hostess – known only as ‘A’ – was telling the truth. He claimed she was trying to blackmail him, and had filed a criminal case.
‘I would like to sincerely apologize once again for causing so many people concerns,’ he said after his first questioning, on October 28 at the Nonhyeon Police Station in Incheon.
‘I will answer all questions truthfully.
‘A’ tricked me into doing drugs. I did not know that what she handed me were illegal drugs.’
South Korea, like many Asian countries, has extremely strict laws against drug use. Those who sell or buy marijuana face a minimum of one year in prison. Those who use it can be sentenced to up to five years in prison or fined up to $37,600.
Lee was discovered unconscious next to charcoal briquettes placed inside a car near Waryong Park in northern Jongno-gu, Seoul.
He had filed a complaint against the woman, claiming she had blackmailed and extorted some 350 million won ($270,000) from him, The Korea Herald reported.
But he had admitted that he and the host met four times and he had inhaled a powder through the nose with a straw. He said he thought was a crushed sleeping pill.
The woman claimed to have seen Lee snorting ketamine.
The identity of the bar hostess in her 20s, who worked in the Gangnam district of Seoul, has not been made public.
His attorney had said last week that he should not be forced to endure further public humiliation by showing up at the police station for questioning, as the actor felt ‘burdened’ by having to show up in front of cameras for police summons.
Who Was Lee Sun-Kyun?
Lee Sun-kyun was born on March 2, 1975, was a South Korean actor.
He married his girlfriend of seven years, actress Jeon Hye-jin, on May 23, 2009, and they have two children. They welcomed their first son Lee Run on November 25, 2009. On August 9, 2011, the couple’s second son Lee Ruk was born.
Lee Sun-kyun entered the Korea National University of Arts in 1994 and graduated in the first-ever class of its School of Drama.
He was best known for his roles in the thriller Helpless (2012), romantic comedy All About My Wife (2012), and crime/black comedy A Hard Day (2014). Internationally, he was best known for his role in Bong Joon-ho’s Academy Award–winning black comedy film Parasite, for which he won a Screen Actors Guild Award along with his castmates. He received several other awards, including a nomination for an International Emmy Award.
After beginning his career in musical theatre, for many years Lee was relegated to minor and supporting roles onscreen, only getting to play lead characters in one-act dramas on KBS Drama City and MBC Best Theater.
In one such Best Theater project, he worked with TV director Lee Yoon-Jung on Taereung National Village (2005), which led to him being cast in her later series Coffee Prince in 2007. Coffee Prince, along with medical drama White Tower brought Lee mainstream popularity, which he followed with Pasta (2010), Golden Time (2012), and My Mister (2018).
He received a Best Actor award from the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival for his role in Paju (2009), followed by critical acclaim for the mystery thriller Helpless (2012), romantic comedy All About My Wife (2012), and crime/black comedy A Hard Day (2014).
He also continued to collaborate with auteur Hong Sang-soo, and his arthouse films with Hong include Night and Day (2008), Oki’s Movie (2010), and Nobody’s Daughter Haewon (2013). In 2019, he starred in Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning black comedy film Parasite.
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