Lee Sun-kyun, the South Korean actor who starred in Bong Joon-ho’s Academy Award-winning film Parasite, has died in an apparent suicide. He was 48 years old.
According to South Korean news outlet Yonhap, Lee was found dead inside of a car in Seoul on Wednesday, December 27th. His wife reported him missing to police and said he had left a suicide note.
In October 2022, Lee was charged on suspicion of using marijuana and psychoactive drugs. South Korea has notoriously strict drug laws, and crimes carry the potential of a multi-year prison sentence.
In the days prior to his death, Lee was reportedly questioned by South Korean police for 19 hours over his alleged drug use.
Lee was an accomplished actor, who starred in a number of South Korean films and television series. He is best known to Western audiences for his acclaimed performance in Parasite, for which he was awarded a Screen Actors Guild Award along with the rest of the film’s cast. He also starred in Apple TV+’s first Korean-language original series, Dr. Brain.
If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or know someone who is, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).