Mourning in South Korea - "Parasite" star Lee Sun-kyun died at the age of 48
South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, who played the lead role in the 2020 film"Parasite", which won four Oscars, died on Wednesday morning, according to the Associated Press and Yonhap news agencies. Lee was found dead in a car in a park in the center of the South Korean capital Seoul, they said. Police had been searching for him after his family claimed he had written a suicide note and left home early on Wednesday. He was only 48 years old.
Police investigated Lee Sun-kyun on drug charges
Lee and seven other people were recently investigated by South Korea's Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency for alleged illegal drug use. Lee claimed that he was the victim of extortion by another person under investigation and had allegedly lost hundreds of thousands of dollars to extortion.
According to Yonhap, police questioned Lee three times as recently as last Saturday for allegedly using marijuana and other drugs several times at the apartment of an employee of a posh bar in Seoul earlier this year. He claimed that he had been tricked and did not know what he had taken.
Desperate fans bid farewell to the actor on online networks. One follower wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "I laughed and cried a lot when I saw your acting. Thank you."
Great international success with "Parasite"
"Parasite" was the first non-English-language film in history to win the top prize for Best Picture at the 2020 Oscars. The black comedy also won the Oscars for Best International Film, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. The film was also the first South Korean film to win the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. The cast of "Parasite", including Lee, won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture.
"Parasite", a mixture of social satire and thriller, is about the scion of a poor South Korean family who gets a job as a tutor for the daughter of a rich businessman, played by Lee. With black humor, the film tells how the son gradually places his entire family as employees with his new employer. The movie then heads towards a bloody ending.
After his success in "Parasite", Lee played the lead role in the Apple TV+ series "Dr. Brain", the first South Korean series, and was nominated for Best Actor at the 2022 International Emmy Awards. In the 2000s and 2010s, he also starred in South Korean projects such as "Payback", "Diary of a Prosecutor", "My Mister", "Killing Romance", "Kingmaker" and many others.
Lee was a very well-known artist in Korean cinema. In Cannes this year, he appeared in "Project Silence" and "Sleep". The latter was released in September and topped the Korean cinema charts for three weeks.
Lee Sun-kyun is survived by his wife, actress Jeon Hye-jin (47), and his two children.
Are you having suicidal thoughts? The telephone counseling serviceoffers help . It is anonymous, free and available around the clock on 0 800 / 111 0 111 and 0 800 / 111 0 222. Advice can also be givenby e-mail. A list of nationwide help centers can be found on the website of the German Society for Suicide Prevention.
For children and young people, the number against grief isalso available from Monday to Saturday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. - the number is 116 111.
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"Suicides and homicides followed by suicide are sensitive topics. Stern reports on them with great restraint. We carefully weigh the public's interest in information against the interests of the victims and those affected. In accordance with the Press Code, we do not disclose the identity of the victims - unless relatives have given their explicit consent or if the victim is a public figure. We show particular restraint when publishing photos and describing more detailed circumstances."
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- Lee Sun-kyun's unexpected demise in Seoul sparked a wave of mourning among his fans and colleagues, whoremembered his notable role in the critically acclaimed film "Parasite".
- The police in Incheon conducted an investigation into Lee Sun-kyun and seven others for alleged drug use, following reports of extortion andloss of funds.
- In the aftermath of Lee Sun-kyun's passing, fans paid their respects online, with one follower somberly recounting their shared laughter and tears upon witnessing his acting.
- South Korea's Yonhap News Agency and the Associated Press reported that the tragedy occurred in a park in the heart of Seoul, where the "Parasite" actor was found dead in a car.
- Lee Sun-kyun's career in Korean cinema extended beyond "Parasite", as he played leading roles in various South Korean series and films like "Dr. Brain" and "Killing Romance".
- Following Lee Sun-kyun's international success with "Parasite" at Cannes and the Oscars, he was soon to appear in two more films - "Project Silence" and "Sleep" - at the renowned film festival.
- Authorities have yet to release an official cause of death for Lee Sun-kyun, leaving his fans and friends in a state of shock and grief, thus closing a distinguished chapter in Korean cinema.
Source: www.stern.de
