‘Parasite’ fame actor Lee Sun-kyun found dead in car

Actor Lee Sun-kyun of the Oscar-winning movie ‘Parasite’ has died, South Korea’s emergency office said. He was found dead in a car in central Seoul Park on Wednesday, it said.

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 on Wednesday.

‘Yonhap’ said a man was later found unconscious at Seoul Park and that police identified him as Lee. Yonhap said Lee was later confirmed dead. It said a charcoal briquette was discovered in the passenger seat of the car.

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 was a familiar figure on Korean screens for decades before his ‘Parasite’ fame abroad. He became well-known for his role in a popular drama series, ‘Coffee Prince’ (2007) and gained mainstream popularity with the medical drama ‘Behind The White Tower’, followed by ‘Pasta’ (2010) and ‘My Mister’ (2018).