Informed by authorities that Lee Sun-kyun, a South Korean actor best known for his part in the Academy Award-winning movie Parasite, has passed away.
On Wednesday, the 48-year-old actor was discovered unconscious in a car in one of Seoul's most popular parks.
Police said they received a report that Lee had left home after writing a note, though it is unclear if he committed suicide.
His suspected drug use had landed him in the middle of an investigation in October.
news source According to Yonhap, he was suspected of using ketamine and marijuana with a hostess at a bar in Seoul. Despite accepting what she gave him, he claimed not to have realized the drugs were illegal.
The hostess allegedly admitted to the police that he had taken drugs at her house on several occasions, although he refuted this. He had previously asked to undergo a lie detector test through his attorney.
The report also stated that the results of his drug tests were either negative or unclear.
News1 Korea reported that although police expressed regret that Lee passed away while investigations were ongoing, they added that the inquiry was "conducted with [his] consent".
In a statement, Lee's management company, HODU&U Entertainment, said: "It is impossible to hold back the grief and hopelessness. We kindly request that you not disseminate rumors or misleading information so as to avoid making [Lee's] last voyage unjust."
His passing caused strong emotions to surface online.
"I have no idea how challenging it must have been for him. "May you rest in peace," a commenter on one of the news stories said.
"Are celebrities not people too? Errors are a common occurrence in human life. It's very depressing "said a different commenter.
The actor had a career spanning more than two decades. He was married to actress Jeon Hye-jin and they had two young sons together.
Throughout the 2010s, he played the lead in numerous movies and television series, making him a household figure.
He became well-known throughout the world as Park Dong-ik in the film Parasite, where he plays the wealthy Park family's father who is infiltrated by people from a poor family who are acting like strangers.
The movie won four Oscars in 2020, including best picture, making history as the first non-English picture to take home the trophy.
Celebrities are subject to strict propriety standards in South Korea.
Prior to his suspected drug use, Lee had a spotless reputation as a family man, but the investigation's findings seriously tarnished his image. He was fired from the mystery TV show No Way Out, which had been filming since October.
Some companies reportedly observed removing Lee-related posters and advertisements from their establishments.
Some companies reportedly observed removing Lee-related posters and advertisements from their establishments.
In South Korea, offenses related to drugs, including marijuana use, are regarded as serious crimes. Cannabis use is punishable by up to five years in prison.
Yoon Suk Yeol, the president of South Korea, has promised to crack down on drugs. The national police chief pledged "a total war" on drug crimes, and the country's authorities increased the size of their drug crimes department this year.
Lee is not the only well-known South Korean person to have been the subject of a recent drug investigation. Following weeks of inquiries, K-pop artist G-Dragon was exonerated of drug-related charges earlier this month.
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