“Parasite” actor Lee Sun-kyun found dead in South Korea, officials say

Actor Lee Sun-kyun of the Oscar-winning movie “Parasite” has died, South Korea’s emergency office said Wednesday.

Lee was found dead in a car in a central Seoul park on Wednesday, it said.

Police earlier said an unconscious Lee was discovered at an unidentified Seoul location.

South Korean media outlets including Yonhap news agency reported that police had been searching for Lee after his family reported he left home after writing a message similar to a suicide note earlier Wednesday.

Yonhap said a man was later found unconscious at the Seoul park and that police identified him as Lee. It said a charcoal briquette was discovered in the passenger seat of the car. 

Lee was best known for his role in “Parasite,” in which he played the head of a wealthy family. In 2021, he won a Screen Actors Guild award for “cast in a motion picture” for his role in the same film.

He was nominated for the best actor at the International Emmy Awards for his performance in the sci-fi thriller “Dr. Brain” last year.

Lee was a familiar figure on Korean screens for decades before his “Parasite” fame abroad. He became well-known for his role in a popular drama series, “Coffee Prince (2007),” and gained mainstream popularity with the medical drama “Behind The White Tower,” followed by “Pasta (2010)” and My Mister (2018).”

Lee had recently been under investigation for allegedly using marijuana, which led to the loss of a number of acting projects, AFP reported. South Korea’s laws are so stringent that Koreans who take drugs legally while abroad can still face prosecution upon returning home, according to AFP.