Parasite Actor Lee Sun Kyun Dies At 48: An Obituary

Shock and disbelief as fans woke up to the news of S Korean actor Lee Sun Kyun’s death on the morning of Dec 27th. The 48-year-old actor was found dead due to carbon monoxide poisoning in a car in a central Seoul park on Wednesday as per reports. The police found him unconscious in the car after his wife had reported he had left home, and she had found what appeared to be a suicide note, as South Korean news agency Yonhap reported. Lee's agency, HODU&U Entertainment, said in a statement: "There is no way to contain the sorrow and despair. We respectfully ask that you refrain from spreading false facts based on speculation... so that [Lee's] final journey will not be unfair."

The actor had been under police investigation over his alleged use of marijuana and other psychoactive drugs. The actor was even dropped from No Way Out, a mystery TV series that began shooting in October. There was no escaping the constant media scrutiny and headlines, even though his drug tests had returned negative and had inconclusive results. He had briefly spoken to reporters in late October before entering an Incheon police station to meet with investigators.

“I sincerely apologise for causing great disappointment to many people by being involved in such an unpleasant incident,” he said at the time, adding, “I feel sorry for my family, which is enduring such difficult pain at this moment. In a career spanning over two decades, Lee Sun Kyun became a household name through 2010 starring in several dramas and films. He began his career in musical theatre and came into the spotlight with the medical drama “White Tower” “Coffee Prince” and “Pasta”. He won honours for his role in the 2009 film Paju and was lauded for his performances in the mystery thriller “Helpless”, All About My Wife.

A strong supporter of Indie and art house cinema, Lee was admired for his versatility. In 2018 he returned to TV with the critically acclaimed series “My Mister” playing the empathetic office worker Dong Hoon who becomes best friend to a depressed young woman played by IU. He shot to international fame for his role as the affluent Mr Park in director Bong Joon Ho’s Academy Award-winning film “Parasite”. The actor’s recent outings included the sci-fi drama Dr Brain, film Killing Romance. He was last seen in the thriller, “Payback” which aired earlier this year. The actor is survived by his wife was actor Jeon Hye-jin and two children.