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'Parasite' star Lee Sun-kyun commits suicide amid marijuana scandal

EviLore

EviLore

Expansive Ellipses
Staff Member
www.koreatimes.co.kr

'Parasite' actor Lee Sun-kyun found dead in apparent suicide amid drug probe

Actor Lee Sun-kyun, who took his own life Wednesday at the age of 48 amid an investigation into alleged drug abuse, was at the peak of his acting career. ...
www.koreatimes.co.kr www.koreatimes.co.kr

DFNHbwc.jpg


“
Actor Lee Sun-kyun of the Oscar-winning film "Parasite" was found dead in an apparent suicide Wednesday amid an investigation into suspected drug use.

Police found a man in his 40s unconscious in a car near Waryong Park in central Seoul at 10:30 a.m. and later identified him as Lee. A charcoal briquette, which can cause fatal carbon monoxide poisoning, was found on the vehicle's front passenger seat.

Lee's manager had earlier reported to the police that the actor left home after writing a memo akin to a suicide note and that his car was gone. The manager had visited Lee's home in Cheongdam-dong in southern Seoul as he was out of contact.

Lee's body was later taken to Seoul National University Hospital.

Lee has gone through three rounds of police questioning on suspicions of using marijuana and other illegal drugs at the home of a hostess working at a high-end bar in Seoul's Gangnam district on multiple occasions since early this year, including last Saturday, when the questioning lasted for 19 hours.

The police booked Lee as a suspect in late October in the drug investigation, which was prompted by a tipoff that drugs were being illegally circulated among bars in Gangnam.

The actor reportedly claimed he was tricked by the hostess into taking the drugs and that he did not know what he was taking.

Lee tested negative in both the brief reagent test conducted during police investigations and the lab-based drug test by the National Forensic Service last month.

In his first appearance for questioning on Oct. 28, Lee apologized for "causing immense disappointment," saying, "I am sorry for my family, who are enduring extreme pain at this moment."

Lee also filed a complaint against two people, including the hostess, accusing them of blackmailing and swindling him out of money.
Claiming his innocence, he also submitted a polygraph test request the previous day. His lawyer had insisted that a lie detector test should be used to determine the truth between Lee and the hostess, who has reportedly told the police that the actor used drugs at her home multiple times.

The 48-year-old actor rose to global fame after "Parasite," in which he played a major role, won Academy Awards in 2020.

In 2021, the veteran actor won a Screen Actors Guild Award, along with his "Parasite" cast mates. Last year, he was also nominated for the best actor award at the International Emmy Awards for his role in the sci-fi film "Dr. Brain."
This year, Lee's two movies — the horror flick "Sleep" by Jason Yu and Kim Tae-gon's disaster thriller "Project Silence" — were invited to the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival, with the former in the competition section of Cannes Critics' Week, a parallel film festival of the Cannes Film Festival, and the latter in the Midnight Screening section. (Yonhap)
“
—————————

Apparently he’s been scandalized in headlines 24/7 for months in Korea, despite his drug tests all coming up negative after the fact, and he was subject to unending harassment from the police during their investigation. The social ostracism was too much to bear.
 
DeafTourette

DeafTourette

Perpetually Offended
EviLore said:
www.koreatimes.co.kr

'Parasite' actor Lee Sun-kyun found dead in apparent suicide amid drug probe

Actor Lee Sun-kyun, who took his own life Wednesday at the age of 48 amid an investigation into alleged drug abuse, was at the peak of his acting career. ...
www.koreatimes.co.kr www.koreatimes.co.kr

DFNHbwc.jpg


“
Actor Lee Sun-kyun of the Oscar-winning film "Parasite" was found dead in an apparent suicide Wednesday amid an investigation into suspected drug use.

Police found a man in his 40s unconscious in a car near Waryong Park in central Seoul at 10:30 a.m. and later identified him as Lee. A charcoal briquette, which can cause fatal carbon monoxide poisoning, was found on the vehicle's front passenger seat.

Lee's manager had earlier reported to the police that the actor left home after writing a memo akin to a suicide note and that his car was gone. The manager had visited Lee's home in Cheongdam-dong in southern Seoul as he was out of contact.

Lee's body was later taken to Seoul National University Hospital.

Lee has gone through three rounds of police questioning on suspicions of using marijuana and other illegal drugs at the home of a hostess working at a high-end bar in Seoul's Gangnam district on multiple occasions since early this year, including last Saturday, when the questioning lasted for 19 hours.

The police booked Lee as a suspect in late October in the drug investigation, which was prompted by a tipoff that drugs were being illegally circulated among bars in Gangnam.

The actor reportedly claimed he was tricked by the hostess into taking the drugs and that he did not know what he was taking.

Lee tested negative in both the brief reagent test conducted during police investigations and the lab-based drug test by the National Forensic Service last month.

In his first appearance for questioning on Oct. 28, Lee apologized for "causing immense disappointment," saying, "I am sorry for my family, who are enduring extreme pain at this moment."

Lee also filed a complaint against two people, including the hostess, accusing them of blackmailing and swindling him out of money.
Claiming his innocence, he also submitted a polygraph test request the previous day. His lawyer had insisted that a lie detector test should be used to determine the truth between Lee and the hostess, who has reportedly told the police that the actor used drugs at her home multiple times.

The 48-year-old actor rose to global fame after "Parasite," in which he played a major role, won Academy Awards in 2020.

In 2021, the veteran actor won a Screen Actors Guild Award, along with his "Parasite" cast mates. Last year, he was also nominated for the best actor award at the International Emmy Awards for his role in the sci-fi film "Dr. Brain."
This year, Lee's two movies — the horror flick "Sleep" by Jason Yu and Kim Tae-gon's disaster thriller "Project Silence" — were invited to the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival, with the former in the competition section of Cannes Critics' Week, a parallel film festival of the Cannes Film Festival, and the latter in the Midnight Screening section. (Yonhap)
“
—————————

Apparently he’s been scandalized in headlines 24/7 for months in Korea, despite his drug tests all coming up negative after the fact, and he was subject to unending harassment from the police during their investigation. The social ostracism was too much to bear.
Click to expand...

Dang! This is sad to hear!
 
D

Deleted member 1159

Unconfirmed Member
Huh I was just thinking about making an order to pick up some ganja from the drive through since the dispensary is right next to Costco, where I need to go later.

Sometimes we fail to appreciate how easy we got it. RIP.
 
EviLore

EviLore

Expansive Ellipses
Staff Member
RJMacready73 said:
Jesus imagine ending your life over basically nothing, he even tested negative ffs, surely more to it, if shit was so bad in Korea why not fuck off on holiday to a country where nobody would know you and let's face it, he ain't famous outside Korea
Click to expand...
He might not have been allowed to leave the country due to the active police investigation.
 
Go_Ly_Dow

Go_Ly_Dow

Member
Sounds like he had done enough to be cleared once the case concluded? The constant media intrusion, smear and all the other crap that comes with being so famous, especially in places like Korea/Japan must have been awful and pushed his already fragile mind over the edge. Very sad stuff.
 
RJMacready73

RJMacready73

Simps for Amouranth
I've seen shows about the culture over there and it's just bonkers about how they're all hyper obsessed over celebrity, looks, social media, working insane hours etc, having any sort of social anxiety or mental health issues must make it incredibly difficult in comparison to western norms, not to mention the taboo of it all, poor dude didn't stand a chance
 
near

near

Gold Member
The underlying dark side to being a celebrity in South Korea, extreme work pressure, absurd media scrutiny, and cyberbullying fast track them into depression. Even if he had been cleared by the Police investigation, the smear campaign wouldn't have slowed down. And based on what I've read, he isn't even guilty of anything. An absolute fucking shame.

-----------------

Here's a little more back story into the drug case against Lee Sun-kyun from last month:

kbizoom.com

The Starting Point Of Police’s “Irrational” Investigations Of Lee Sun-kyun & G-Dragon

The reason why G-Dragon was accused of taking drugs by the police has been revealed
kbizoom.com kbizoom.com

"
On November 23rd, Dispatch reported the chat conversation between K, the female director of the entertainment establishment involved in Lee Sun-kyun and G-Dragon’s drug cases, and her acquaintance.

According to Dispatch, K told her acquaintance, “I enjoyed XX with GD (G-Dragon) yesterday”, and “All the girls got their phones taken, but I did a hidden camera. GD came again”, claiming that G-Dragon visited the entertainment establishment.

K, who had a drug use history of at least 5 convictions, was on the verge of being imprisoned after getting arrested in August. While taking drugs with her younger sister L, K was caught by L’s ex-boyfriend S and received a threat of trading money for the police report.

In the process, K blackmailed Lee Sun-kyun and demanded 350 million won, which is much larger than the amount she was threatened. She lied to Lee Sun-kyun, saying she received a threat from a hacker. Lee Sun-kyun did not know K made up the story so he replied, “I’ll contact you later”, and then gave K 350 million won.

After seeing K’s conversation with Lee Sun-kyun and her mention of G-Dragon in the conversation with her acquaintance, the police decided to book Lee Sun-kyun and G-Dragon on drug charges and started an internal investigation.

In short, the police are conducting an “irrational” investigation on Lee Sun-kyun and G-Dragon only based on the words of an entertainment establishment female director without searching for more specific evidence. In addition, the fact that they even revealed the identities of Lee Sun-kyun and G-Dragon to the media right from the internal investigation stage has worsened the situation, resulting in inevitable criticism.

Meanwhile, Lee Sun-kyun insisted that he was deceived into taking drugs without knowing, while G-Dragon complained of unfairness and denied all drug allegations several times.
"
 
The Cockatrice

The Cockatrice

Gold Member
Watching all those k-drama trhillers about crime and stuff made me realize how messed up South Korea is when it comes to these things. Living there seems like a nightmare. RIP :(
 
near

near

Gold Member


To be fair South Korea has the highest suicide rate in the world amongst developed nations. I think the number of celebrities that have unalive themselves over the years highlights the larger issues plaguing it's society. It's easy to identify some of the factors that contribute to a celebrity falling into depression, but not enough attention is giving to it's working class, youth and elderly, who want to escape their realities, often caused by similar factors.

mEEQ6Li.png


data.oecd.org

Health status - Suicide rates - OECD Data

Find, compare and share OECD data by indicator.
data.oecd.org data.oecd.org
 
Go_Ly_Dow

Go_Ly_Dow

Member
RJMacready73 said:
I've seen shows about the culture over there and it's just bonkers about how they're all hyper obsessed over celebrity, looks, social media, working insane hours etc, having any sort of social anxiety or mental health issues must make it incredibly difficult in comparison to western norms, not to mention the taboo of it all, poor dude didn't stand a chance
Click to expand...
www.telegraph.co.uk

Why South Korea’s cosmetic surgery empire is both a source of pride and pain

Questions are being asked of the country’s difficult relationship with beauty ideals as it looks to further grow its surgery industry
www.telegraph.co.uk www.telegraph.co.uk
According to a Statista survey in 2020, 25 per cent of 19-29-year-old and 31 per cent of 30-39-year-old Korean women had undergone some form of plastic surgery.
Click to expand...

Plastic surgery isn't uncommon in the West and at a guess I would bet it's rising here, but there seems to be a lot of people in SK in particular who are very unhappy given that 1 in 4 or 5 have undergone it.
 
C

ClanOfNone

Member
The draconian drug laws of most of Asia are pretty crazy, especially for stuff like weed. I’m assuming it’s a holdover from the opium epidemic that crippled a lot of countries over there.
The “War on Drugs” in America resulted in some pretty draconian policies over here as well, some are still in effect in smaller rural communities. Thankfully, weed is medically legal in like half of the states now, with recreational legalization gaining traction in a lot of areas as well.
You’ve even got major players like John Hopkins and the Mayo Clinic dumping tons into psychedelic research as well, with extremely promising results.
 
Fbh

Fbh

Gold Member
RIP.
It sometimes gets sort of "washed away" with the cool shows and movies but Korean society is pretty fucked up. That police, media and fandom would go so far as to push someone who was probably at the height of his career to commit suicide over an accusation of weed consumption is crazy
 
D

Days like these...

Have a Blessed Day
That's pretty tragic. It would be nice if his death would make the country as a whole self reflect and change but I doubt it just look at America and it's mass shooting problem nothing has made us change.
 
F0rneus

F0rneus

Tears in the rain
19 hours interrogation for weed is some fucking bullshit. And the chick that falsely reported on him and singer G-Dragon doing drugs at her place (they both tested negative)...well she's free as the wind. Asia is way too conservative over fucking weed.
 
ÆMNE22A!C

ÆMNE22A!C

NO PAIN TRANCE CONTINUE
So fucking sad. Damn.
The harrassment and shame (culture bound?) Must've been IMMENSE. Such a non issue to get so much shit over you're almost start to think something else must've been going along (along side)


Rest in peace and shame on those vultures.
 
F0rneus

F0rneus

Tears in the rain
22•22 said:
So fucking sad. Damn.
The harrassment and shame (culture bound?) Must've been IMMENSE. Such a non issue to get so much shit over you're almost start to think something else must've been going along (along side)


Rest in peace and shame on those vultures.
Click to expand...
Well...





And yes, this happens a lot in SK...
 
Last edited:
near

near

Gold Member
F0rneus said:
Well...





And yes, this happens a lot in SK...
Click to expand...

This is no more than a conspiracy theory, where is the actual evidence that government is involved in any way to Lee Sun-Kyun's case? Sure, there is corruption, but to assert that the government had Lee Sun-Kyun arrested to divert media attention is just wild speculation.
 
F0rneus

F0rneus

Tears in the rain
near said:
This is no more than a conspiracy theory, where is the actual evidence that government is involved in any way to Lee Sun-Kyun's case? Sure, there is corruption, but to assert that the government had Lee Sun-Kyun arrested to divert media attention is just wild speculation.
Click to expand...
You must be new to South Korean media and politics. Every time a government official gets in trouble, celebrity scandals drop like clockwork. It's a tale as old as time.
 
near

near

Gold Member
F0rneus said:
You must be new to South Korean media and politics. Every time a government official gets in trouble, celebrity scandals drop like clockwork. It's a tale as old as time.
Click to expand...
Facts and evidence matter. Even if it's true, it is nothing more than conspiracy nonsense until it can be proven. Besides, Kim Keon Hee's scandals pre-date everything surrounding Lee Sun-kyun by a long stretch.
 
ÆMNE22A!C

ÆMNE22A!C

NO PAIN TRANCE CONTINUE
near said:
This is no more than a conspiracy theory, where is the actual evidence that government is involved in any way to Lee Sun-Kyun's case? Sure, there is corruption, but to assert that the government had Lee Sun-Kyun arrested to divert media attention is just wild speculation.
Click to expand...

And the official narrative seems rather easy.
 
Rentahamster

Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
To think that his "crimes" would be a nothing burger in most Western countries. I used to think Japan has some fucked up societal norms and police draconianism that many people don't realize among all the good qualities of the place. Well, I still do, but Korea takes this shit to another level.
 
O

Outlier

Member
Unfortunate he felt trapped and made that decision.

I'm NEVER living in an Asian country. Most of them seem like social pressure nightmares.
 
D

Days like these...

Have a Blessed Day
Rentahamster said:
To think that his "crimes" would be a nothing burger in most Western countries. I used to think Japan has some fucked up societal norms and police draconianism that many people don't realize among all the good qualities of the place. Well, I still do, but Korea takes this shit to another level.
Click to expand...
They probably don't allow hamsters or anal beads in Korea
 
M

Mesousa

Banned
12Goblins said:
the stigma over drugs in Asian countries is absolutely insane.... especially seeing that nearly every adult there is a raging alcoholic even in public spaces

Completely senseless. RIP
Click to expand...
Not insane when you realized Drugs was used to pretty much break places there(Like China for example).

The shame culture is harsh, but the results speak for themselves. Seoul is insanely clean and safe for the amount of people who live there. While over here in a major city you can barely take the subway without some junkie screaming at folks.
 
D

Days like these...

Have a Blessed Day
Mesousa said:
Not insane when you realized Drugs was used to pretty much break places there(Like China for example).

The shame culture is harsh, but the results speak for themselves. Seoul is insanely clean and safe for the amount of people who live there. While over here in a major city you can barely take the subway without some junkie screaming at folks.
Click to expand...
A man took his life over this but hey they got clean cities! Wtf is wrong with you?
 
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