Acclaimed South Korean actor, best known for his role in the 2020 Oscar-winning film Parasite, Lee Sun-kyun was found dead in a car in a central Seoul park on Wednesday morning.
The news comes after Lee’s family reported his disappearance and the discovery of a suicide note, prompting a search by the police.
The circumstances surrounding his death cast a somber shadow over the legacy of an artist who made significant contributions to Korean cinema and garnered international acclaim.
The 48-year-old had recently been under investigation for alleged illegal drug use by the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency. He claimed to be a victim of blackmail during the ongoing probe and had allegedly suffered significant financial losses due to extortion.
Lee Sun-kyun’s untimely demise has left the industry mourning the loss of a talented actor. He is survived by his wife, actor Jeon Hye-jin, and their two children.
Lee Sun-kyun had risen to international fame for his role as Park Dong-ik, the father of the affluent Park family in the critically acclaimed film Parasite, directed by Bong Joon-ho.
The movie made history by winning four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, and International Feature Film for South Korea. The Parasite cast, including Lee, also received the Screen Actors Guild award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.
Following the success of Parasite, Lee continued to make significant contributions to the entertainment industry. He starred in the Apple TV+ series Dr. Brain, the platform’s first South Korean series, and earned a nomination for Best Actor at the 2022 International Emmy Awards.
His versatile acting skills were showcased in various South Korean projects, such as Payback, Diary of a Prosecutor, My Mister, Killing Romance, and Kingmaker.
In Cannes this year, Lee appeared in films like Project Silence and Sleep. The latter, released in September, dominated the Korean box office charts for three consecutive weeks.
