Lee Sun-kyun’s Drug Case May Be Closed Without a Trial Upon Demise

What first springs to mind when it’s Lee Sun-kyun for me is Coffee Prince (2007)—the Korean drama in which I saw him for the first time. Lee had no hero but rather a key role there, remaining the great actor he’s been all along—his defining portrayals entailing performances that take his filmography to a higher plane.

His untimely demise comes as a shock, as the Parasite (2019) actor was identified and confirmed dead yesterday amid hardships he has been suffering through lately. He had been subjected to police inquiries into marijuana and psychotropic substance allegations under the Narcotics Control Act for roughly two months.

This October, suspicions regarding Lee’s drug use surfaced. Four days ahead of his demise, on the 23rd, he was called into the police department and had been the subject of a thorough all-night inquiry that spanned until the following morning, based on Yonhap News.

An unconscious man in his 40s was discovered in a car at a park in Central Seoul, South Korea, per the news agency. Later, the cops recognized him as Lee. According to his manager, Lee left his house after leaving a note—possibly a suicide note—apologizing to his family and agency representatives.

It’s stated that the manager went to Lee’s Gangnam home and reported it to the police after failing to get in touch with him. His car was spotted at the scene of the occurrence at around 10:30 a.m. KST by the police, who initiated the search. His car had a lightning bullet, caps, fabric deodorizer, soccer balls, and an unopened package of barbecue charcoal. Supposedly, the previous night, Lee’s car pulled up to the location; what exactly happened and when he died are under investigation.

Before the incident, the actor underwent testing for suspected drug use. Police put Lee through three rounds of questioning in response to accusations that he had often used marijuana and other illicit substances at the domicile of a club hostess. Lee said that she was blackmailing him and had misled him into taking drugs. This episode threatened him in addition to defrauding him of a substantial amount of money.

With that, the actor made his first appearance in public on October 28, expressing his apologies for upsetting everyone with his involvement in the issue and pledging to conduct the probe sincerely. Lee cleared the rapid reagent test in police inquiries and a lab-based drug test administered by the National Forensic Service last month. Claiming innocence, he recently petitioned the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency, handling the matter, for a polygraph test.

However, Lee Sun-kyun’s drug case will likely be closed without a trial following his demise.

In a statement issued by his management company, Hodu&U Entertainment, it was stated that those closest to him will be present at a private funeral set for the 29th at the Seoul National University Hospital’s funeral hall. Seonyeong, in Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do, will host the funeral service.

In his magnetic attitude, intense facial expressions, and deep voice—all of which made him the quintessential actor—Lee Sun-kyun was a model of an artistic rise who turned in countless stellar performances. If there is a common thread among his works, it is the additional levels of finesse he added. He’ll live on memory.