‘Parasite’ Star Lee Sun-kyun Dead at 48
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - FEBRUARY 19: South Korean actor Lee Sun-Kyun attends the press conference on February 19, 2020 in Seoul, South Korea. The cast and crew held a press conference after returning home from the 92nd Academy Awards with four awards. (Photo by Han Myung-Gu/WireImage)
Lee Sun-kyun, who was best known for his starring role in the Oscar-winning film Parasite, has reportedly died. He was 48.
According to a report from the South Korean news agency Yonhap, the actor was found dead following an apparent suicide on Wednesday, Dec. 27 at 10:30 a.m. local time.
The outlet reports that police were notified after Lee left a troubling note and his car was no longer at home. "As he was pronounced dead, he wasn't taken to hospital," a fire official said, per Yonhap.
It's said Lee is survived by wife Jeon Hye-jin and their two sons.
This tragic update comes after Lee was allegedly the subject of a drug investigation, in which the actor was reportedly questioned multiple times.
In addition to his work in Parasite—in which he played the Park family patriarch, Park Dong-ik—Lee notably starred in the 2012 thriller film Helpless, the 2012 romantic comedy All About My Wife and the 2014 thriller film A Hard Day.
Yet, it was through his work in Bong Joon-ho's Parasite that he nabbed a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.
He was also nominated for an International Emmy Award for his work in the Apple TV+ series Dr. Brain.
Countless fans have since paid tribute to Lee on social media. For instance, one fan penned on X (formerly Twitter), "thank you for being such a great actor, lee sun-kyun."
Another chimed in, "I can’t believe this is how we lost Lee Sun-Kyun. Such a heartbreaking way to leave this world when you had such a beautiful way of helping telling stories of loss and pain."
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
