Lee Sun-kyun, the actor best known in the US for playing the rich dad in Bong Joon-Ho's 2019 film 'Parasite', was found dead in his car in Seoul following a 19-hour police interrogation. The South Korean government has renewed its draconian war on drugs since the election of right-wing President Yoon Suk Yeol. This year alone, 17,000 people have been arrested in connection with drug use and possession. Users, growers and dealers alike have been targeted in a ruthlessly authoritarian crackdown on everything from hemp plants to cocaine. The punishment for being a habitual drug user? Six months to ten years in prison.
Allegations about Sun-Kyun's drug use reportedly lost him two prominent acting roles, $270,000 in payments to a blackmailer, and his good standing with the conservative South Korean government.
Sun-Kyun's public life was under intense scrutiny in the tabloids as well as with the police. The actor had faced three rounds of lengthy interrogation, over his alleged drug use, following an incident with a hostess who he alleged was blackmailing him. Sun-Kyun maintained his innocence throughout.
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