Parasite director Bong Joon-ho, others demand probe into police handling of actor Lee Sun-kyun’s drug case

More than two dozen South Korean filmmakers, including Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho, gathered in central Seoul today for a press conference, calling for an investigation into the police and media handling of a drug abuse case involving ‘Parasite’ actor Lee Sun-kyun.

The 48-year-old actor was found dead in his car on 27 December. 2023 on the same day he returned from 19-hour-long police questioning regarding suspected drug use.

The press conference was attended by many prominent figures from the Korean entertainment industry, including actor Song Gang-ho, and Kim Dong-ho, the former chairman of Busan International Film Festival among many other people extending their support for the petition.

“Throughout the two months, from the initial leak of internal information regarding the deceased’s investigation to the time of his death, we urge a thorough investigation by the authorities to ascertain whether there were any lapses in police investigative security,” Bong read out the official statement prepared by 29 prominent arts and culture groups, including the Busan International Film Festival and the Korea Entertainment Producer’s Association.

“We request a thorough investigation to determine if there were any unlawful media responses during the investigation,” it read.

Lee, who got global recognition for his leading role in the Oscar-winning film ‘Parasite’, was under police investigation for months over suspected drug use at the home of a hostess working at a high-end bar in Seoul’s Gangnam district.

Although, the actor said that he was tricked into taking drugs. The National Forensic Service examined his urine test which turned out to be negative. However, the Korean police persistently pursued the investigation and denied the actor’s request to conduct a private summons.

Following his death, his colleagues discussed the need to officially raise questions over the police’s handling of the investigation and the media publishing irrelevant personal details about the actor.

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