Actor Lee Sun-kyun of Oscar-winning film Parasite dies

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

Lee was found dead at a car in a central Seoul park.

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.

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 had undergone police probes into allegations that he used illegal drugs at the residence of a bar hostess. The investigation prompted extensive tabloid coverage.

Lee insisted he was tricked into taking the drugs and that he did not know what he was taking, according to Yonhap.