Parasite director Bong Joon-ho has accused police in South Korea of hounding the star of his Oscar-winning film to his death with their high-profile investigation into his alleged drug use.
Lee Sun-kyun was hauled in for police interviews in front of the nation’s media three times in as many months before he was found dead in his car on December 27.
He was accused of taking ketamine and marijuana at a hostess’s house but insisted he was the victim of a blackmail plot in the socially conservative country.
His final police interview lasted for 19 hours through the night on Christmas Eve, and Bong used a nationally televised news conference on Friday to accuse police of leaking information to the media.
‘We call for a fact-finding probe into whether there were any security problems regarding the police investigation,’ he said alongside fellow directors, producers and writers.
Parasite director Bong Joon-ho accused police of leaking information about their investigation
Lee Sun-kyun, a South Korean actor who featured in the Oscar-winning film Parasite, has been found dead at age 48 amid a police investigation into alleged drug use after a bar hostess claimed the star had taken marijuana and ketamine
Lee’s role in the Oscar-winning film about a poor family breaking into the home of a rich family catapulted him to stardom, winning Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best International Film
‘Clear legislative improvements are needed to ensure that principles and exceptions are not reversed between the human rights of suspects and the public’s right to know.’
Lee, 48, shot to fame in the West playing a wealthy patriarch in the 2020 breakthrough film which became the first foreign language film ever to win best picture at the Oscars.
He found more success last year with a best actor nomination at the International Emmy Awards for his performance in the sci-fi thriller Dr Brain.
But he was ditched by his agent and dropped from a series of major projects after his arrest in October.
Lee insisted he had not knowingly taken illegal drugs, and passed toxicology tests: he was demanding a lie detector test at the time of his death, to assess whether he or the hostess – known only as ‘A’ – was telling the truth.
He claimed she was trying to blackmail him, and had filed a criminal case.
‘I would like to sincerely apologize once again for causing so many people concerns,’ he said after his first questioning, on October 28 at the Nonhyeon Police Station in Incheon.
‘I will answer all questions truthfully.
‘A’ tricked me into doing drugs. I did not know that what she handed me were illegal drugs.’
Lee starred as the father of a wealthy family in the global blockbuster Parasite
Parasite went on to become the first non-English movie to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards (pictured in February 2020 at the Oscars ceremony in Hollywood)
Lee’s wife, Jeon Hye-jin (pictured), reportedly found a suicide note from her husband before raising the alarm
Lee is pictured on December 23 (left) as he arrived at Incheon Metropolitan Police station in South Korean for questioning over his drug use
‘I would like to sincerely apologize once again for causing so many people concerns,’ he said after his first questioning, on October 28 at the Nonhyeon Police Station in Incheon.
Police are seen covering a vehicle believed to be where Lee took his own life on Wednesday
The scandal dominated front pages in Korea, and a day before his death Lee’s lawyer admitted his client felt ‘burdened’ by appearing in public settings to discuss the allegations.
Lee’s wife Jeon Hye-jin, a former Miss Korea contestant, raised the alarm after finding a suicide note, and Lee’s body was found in a Seoul car park.
His death is the latest in a long line of premature, and often gruesome, deaths that have haunted the upper echelons of South Korea, as the country grapples with a string of deadly misfortunes and a soaring mental health crisis.
‘We share the same heart that this should never happen again,’ Bong’s group said in a statement.
‘We will call for investigation officials’ probe to discover the truth, request media outlets to delete articles that do not fit their function as media, as well as urge authorities to revise the law to protect the human rights of artists.’
The head of the district police force that interviewed Lee has defended his handling of the investigation. Incheon Metropolitan Police chief Kim Hui-jung told a news briefing the entire process was justified and done with Lee’s consent.
He said the questioning during Lee’s three highly-public appearances was necessary to hear his side and was done in the presence of his lawyer.
‘The investigation of the deceased was conducted based on specific reports, testimony and evidence and under legally prescribed procedures,’ he added.
Yoon Hee-keun, the commissioner general of the National Police Agency (NPA), denied that unreasonable investigations had caused the actor’s death.
He added that he would look into investigation practices, YNA reported.
A hearse carrying the coffin of the late actor during his funeral ceremony in Seoul today
Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who was a human rights lawyer before entering politics, was among those who criticised police practice and sensational media reporting of the case.
‘The practice that does huge damage to someone’s honor and character, such as excessively putting them at a media photoline, and pushes them to take the extreme choice must now end,’ Moon said on Facebook.
The probe comes as part of a crackdown by the government of conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol, who called it a ‘war on drugs’.
There has been a string of high-profile arrests, including business conglomerate heirs and celebrities, under the country’s tough drug laws, which punishes those found guilty of abusing drugs as well as drug dealing by up to 14 years in prison.