Lee Sun-kyun's death: Why was 'Parasite' actor summoned by police multiple times

Lee Sun-kyun, the star of ‘Parasite’, allegedly faced blackmail from a barmaid who informed the police that he had used drugs multiple times at her residence. The 48-year-old underwent 19 hours of police questioning regarding these accusations shortly before his death in a Seoul car park.

At approximately 10:30 am local time, authorities found Sun-kyun's lifeless body inside a vehicle near Waryong Park in central Seoul. Law enforcement is treating his death as a suicide.

The South Korean actor, previously reported missing by his wife, Jeon Hye-jin, a former Miss Korea contestant, had left a suicide note. Sun-kyun was under police investigation for alleged drug use, a charge he had refuted, at the time of his passing.


Sun-kyun faced police questioning thrice in connection to accusations of using marijuana and illicit substances at the residence of a bar hostess earlier this year, as reported by The Korea Times.

The woman, in her twenties and employed at a upscale bar in Seoul's Gangnam district, remains unidentified.

The most recent interrogation occurred on December 23, with the actor photographed entering a 19-hour session that extended into the early hours of Christmas Eve.

Sun-kyun claimed that he was deceived by the barmaid into consuming drugs, asserting unawareness of the substances involved.

Sun-kyun has lodged a complaint against an unidentified hostess, alleging she extorted £212,000 from him, as reported by The Korea Herald.

In the course of the inquiry, Sun-kyun acknowledged meeting the hostess on four occasions and inhaling powder through his nose, believing it to be a crushed sleeping pill. The woman, however, asserted it was ketamine.

The actor, expressing a sense of belated realization, stated, "I've completed police questioning regarding the blackmail case," as he left the police station on December 24.

Sun-kyun's attorney requested increased privacy in police proceedings last week, citing the actor's feeling of being "burdened" by constant camera exposure during each summons.

Following the public revelation of drug accusations in late October, the emerging star reportedly faced removal from several significant TV projects.

In the previous month, Sun-kyun tested negative in two drug tests conducted by investigators. On October 28, he participated in his initial police questioning, expressing apologies for "causing immense disappointment" to his family, who were undergoing "extreme pain at this moment."

In an effort to assert his alleged innocence, he underwent a polygraph test the day before.

South Korea enforces some of the world's strictest drug laws, carrying a minimum jail term of six months and up to 14 years for repeat offenders.

FAQs:

Q1: When was Lee Sun-kyun born?
A1: March 2, 1975.

Q2: Why was Lee Sun-kyun under a police investigation?
A2: For suspected use of marijuana and other drugs.