'Parasite' director Bong Joon-ho demands police investigate the death of Lee Sun-kyun
Michael Kovac/Getty Images for AFI
- Bong Joon-ho wants police to investigate the death of Lee Sun-kyun.
- Lee was found dead in a park after undergoing a long interrogation by police.
- Prior to his death, Lee had been under investigation for drug use.
Oscar-winning "Parasite" director Bong Joon-ho and other artists in South Korea have called for a thorough investigation into the death of popular actor Lee Sun-kyun, who played the head of a wealthy family in the class satire movie.
Lee, 48, was found dead in his car on December 27 in what is widely seen as a suicide following an intense weekslong police investigation into his alleged drug use.
The actor, found in a park in Seoul after being reported missing by his manager, had left a note that his wife later discovered.
Bong, along with other artists part of the Association of Solidarity Among Cultural Artists, released a planned statement in a nationally televised press conference in Seoul, criticizing how police handled Lee's drug investigation as well as how media reported aspects of Lee's personal life. They also asked that officials "revise the law to protect the human rights of artists."
"We urge relevant officials to fully investigate whether there were any problems with the security of (the information) in the police investigation," they said in a statement.
They said Lee had suffered "severe character assassination" before his death and called for revisions of laws to protect human rights in criminal investigations.
Police had been investigating allegations that Lee used illegal drugs at the residence of a bar hostess. Lee insisted he was tricked into taking the drugs and that he did not know what they were, according to South Korean media.
The investigation prompted extensive tabloid coverage of Lee and unconfirmed online rumors about his private life. Lee filed a suit against two people, including the hostess, alleging they blackmailed him.
Lee had been subjected to multiple interrogations by police over the claims of drug use. During the week of his death, Lee had completed an interrogation that lasted 19 hours.
"I hope the police make a good judgment about whose side's statements are credible between me and the blackmailers," Lee told reporters following the lengthy interrogation.
"Parasite" won Oscars for best picture and three other categories in 2020. It was the first non-English-language film to win Best Picture in the Academy Awards history and the first South Korean movie to win an Oscar.
Lee, who played Park Dong-ik in the film, won a Screen Actors Guild award for his role.
South Korea has strict anti-drug laws and has long had the highest suicide rate among developed countries. It has experienced a string of celebrity suicides involving K-pop stars, prominent politicians, and business executives. Many of the celebrity suicides have been blamed on malicious and abusive online comments and severe cyberbullying.
The country has also been cracking down on drug crimes among high-profile celebrities. For Koreans, drug use — even abroad — can result in prison for six months. Repeat offenders or dealers can face up to 14 years in prison.
Korean celebrities that have faced drug scandals include T.O.P. from K-pop group BigBang and Yoo Ah-in, who acted in the Netflix series "Hellbound."