Bong Joon-Ho Leads Press Conference Calling For Investigation Into Korean Police And Media Following Death Of ‘Parasite’ Actor Lee Sun-Kyun

Nancy Tartaglione, Bruce Haring and Zac Ntim
·2 min read
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A group of South Korean artists, led by Parasite filmmaker Bong Joon-ho, gathered at a press conference in Seoul on Friday to urge authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of prolific actor Lee Sun-kyun.

Lee, who played a lead role in Bong’s multi-Oscar-winning Parasite, died last month in an apparent suicide. He was 48. At the time, he was under investigation for alleged drug use at the home of a hostess working at a high-end bar in Seoul’s Gangnam district. Yonhap reported that Lee had been questioned multiple times by authorities, including for 19 hours the weekend before his death. The actor had said he was tricked into taking drugs.

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At the presser, the newly formed Korean Association of Solidarity of Cultural Artists specially called for authorities to investigate the behavior of police during the probe into Lee and the subsequent media fallout, which included the publication of the actor’s apparent suicide note despite pushback from his family.

“We urge a thorough investigation to determine whether there was any fault in the police’s (information) security in the two months since the first information leak about the investigation into the late actor up to his death,” Bong said at the presser, Korean news agency Yonhap reported. “We demand clear truth regarding whether it was legally right for the police to release the late actor’s police appearance schedules to the press.”

The filmmaker added that the group’s efforts were an attempt to prevent a “second or third victim” following Lee’s death. Among those present at the press conference were actor Kim Eui-sung, representatives from the influential Busan Film Festival, and the Directors Guild of Korea. The group said they plan to submit their statement to the Korean National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, the National Police Agency, and the state-run broadcaster KBS.

Last Friday, following Lee’s suicide, the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency referred two women, including a bar hostess, to the prosecution for further investigation and potential indictment on charges of blackmailing Lee for 350 million won ($266K), Yonhap reported.

Earlier this week, according to the Korea Herald, The Association of Solidarity of Cultural Artists and made up of 29 culture and arts groups, including the Busan Film Festival, released a statement urging authorities and the media to prevent similar deaths in the future.

The statement, per the Korea Herald, said, “In the face of the tragic death of actor Lee Sun-kyun, we shared the same heart that this should never happen again. 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.”

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