South Korean Actor Lee Sun Gyun 48, was found dead in a parked car possibly suicide. On the morning of December 27th, Seoul Seungbuk Police Station received a call from a frantic woman indicating her husband had left her a note indicating suicidal intentions and had left their home. A K-Media source, One Asia, the police found a man unconscious in a parked car at Waryong Park, and after responding to the call from the woman the man has been identified.
The actor received fame for his role in the Korean film Parasite, which led to his winning an Academy Award. He was also well renowned for his roles in Sleep, A Hard Day, Coffee Prince, and other films. He was a veteran actor known in his craft field and well-loved and respected in the industry. He had been a subject of intense public scrutiny amidst a drug case since October, so much so that he chose to withdraw from a few of his upcoming projects as well. The police found more evidence in his car such as burning charcoal briquettes that all point towards suicide.
The mysterious phone call that left the police on high alert, resembled a will says the wife. Authorities released that they received a call that night from a woman who claimed “My husband has left our house after writing a note resembling a will”. The police believe the 48-year-old actor left the house after writing a suicide note or ”will” for his wife.
Since the month of October this year, several several artists from the industry, including Lee Sun Gyun and BIGBANGS’s G-Dragon have been facing drug allegations that were led up to through police cues. G-Dragon however worked to have his name cleared, after screening many narcotic tests. The actor, however, faced uncertainty regarding his results yet a detailed analysis done by the National Institute of Forensic Science, through a simple reagent test, proved the absence of drugs. The actor after being faced with multiple police investigations sought a lie detector test on the 26th of December.
The narcotic case had been in regard to the actor’s alleged consumption of marijuana and other psychoactive drugs. South Korea has very rigid drug laws which include drug crimes being punishable by six months or even 14 years for repeat offenders. Lee had been questioned by the police on three different occasions, including for up to 19 hours this previous weekend. The actor stated his innocence by saying that he was tricked into consuming drugs by the hostess at the bar, who later tried to blackmail him with it. He repeatedly stated he had taken what she had given him being unaware that they were drugs in it. The hostess claimed the actor had used drugs at her home multiple times, he denied those allegations, requesting for a lie detector test through his lawyer.
The actor briefly spoke to the media in October about his thoughts leading up to this ordeal, where he said “I sincerely apologise for causing such great disappointment to so many people by being involved in such an unpleasant incident”, he also later added, “I feel sorry for my family who has to endure such great pain at the moment”. The actor leaves behind his wife actress Jeon Hye-Jin and two sons.
