Lee Sun-kyun had been dropped from a string of projects weeks before his death.
Lee Sun-kyun had been dropped from a string of projects weeks before his death
The critically acclaimed ‘Parasite’ actor, 48, was found unconscious in a car in a central Seoul park on Wednesday (27.12.23), South Korea’s emergency office announced, with the country’s Yonhap news agency reporting his body was found after his wife Jeon Hye-jin alerted police to what appeared to be a suicide note she had found from her husband.
He was being investigated by police over allegations of taking marijuana and a powder which his bar hostess accuser said was ketamine.
It’s now emerged that after news of an official investigation into his alleged drug use was published in late October, he was dropped from major projects including the mystery thriller TV show ‘No Way Out’, which started shooting that month.
According to local media, the production company in charge of shooting the show sought to fire him after police said they may have needed a sample of his hair for drug testing.
Lee insisted he had not knowingly taken illegal drugs, and passed toxicology tests – and 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.
Dad-of-two Lee told reporters after his first questioning on 28 October at the Nonhyeon Police Station in Incheon: “I would like to sincerely apologize once again for causing so many people concerns.
“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’s strict laws on drug use mean those who sell or buy marijuana face a minimum of one year in prison, while users can be sentenced to up to five years in prison or fined up to nearly $40,000.
Lee was accused of using ketamine, marijuana and psychedelics on multiple occasions.
His 23 December questioning was likely to be his last, police sources told local media, and the session lasted 19 hours, with Lee leaving the police station in the early hours of Christmas Eve.
He was discovered three days later, inside of a car near Waryong Park in northern Jongno-gu, Seoul.
In May 2009, after seven years together, Lee married fellow actress Jeon Hye-jin and the couple had two sons.