Parasite actor Lee Sun-kyun found dead, South Korean officials say
Lee Sun-kyun, an actor who starred in the Oscar-winning film Parasite, has died, South Korea’s emergency office said Wednesday.
Lee was found dead in a central Seoul park on Wednesday, the office said. Earlier, police said Lee was discovered unconscious at an unidentified Seoul location.
South Korean media outlets, including Yonhap news agency, reported that police had been searching for Lee since his family reported he had left home after writing a message similar to a suicide note earlier Wednesday.
The actor had recently been investigated by police over his alleged illegal drug use.
In director Bong Joon-ho’s 2019 black comedy thriller Parasite, Lee played the patriarch of a rich family who hires members of a scheming poor family. The film won Best Picture at the Academy Awards in February 2020.
Lee was a familiar figure on Korean screens for decades before Parasite brought him fame abroad.
He became well-known for his role in the popular drama series Coffee Prince in 2007, and gained mainstream popularity with the medical drama series Behind The White Tower that same year, followed by the 2010 series Pasta and My Mister in 2018.
He was nominated for best actor at the International Emmy Awards for his performance in the sci-fi thriller Dr. Brain last year.
