Lee Sun-kyun 'Begged' the Police To Not Publicize Drug Investigation Before Presumed Suicide

Parasite actor Lee Sun-kyun had pleaded with the police to refrain from publicly disclosing the ongoing investigation into his alleged use of illegal drugs merely days before his tragic death. Law enforcement officials confirmed on Thursday that Sun-kyun's legal representative had urged the authorities to conduct the latest round of questioning away from media coverage on the preceding Saturday. However, it seems that the investigators declined this request. Sun-Kyun was found dead in an apparent suicide inside his car in Seoul on Wednesday morning, as detailed by Radar Online. The day before the discovery of Sun-kyun's body, his lawyer had expressed the actor's hope for any future interrogation to be conducted in private.

Sun-kyun's demise on Wednesday was followed by revelations that the South Korean actor was the focal point of an ongoing drug investigation involving marijuana and other prohibited substances. Allegations surfaced suggesting his involvement in using these substances at the residence of a hostess affiliated with a local bar. Nevertheless, the Parasite actor vehemently refuted the accusations leveled against him, asserting that he had been ensnared into consuming the illicit drugs as part of an extortion plot made up by the hostess and another individual, as detailed by TMZ.

As part of the ongoing narcotics investigation, authorities arrested a male and a female suspect. Just a day before Sun-Kyun’s tragic death, he, through his legal representative, formally requested that the police conduct lie detector tests for him and the other two individuals involved. The esteemed South Korean film star was reportedly summoned for a series of prominently publicized interview sessions, totaling three occasions from October until his unfortunate demise on Wednesday. Notably, the final interrogation took place on Saturday, spanning an exhaustive and long period of 19 hours.

While expressing profound remorse over the actor's tragic demise, Incheon Metropolitan Police Chief Kim Hui-Jung maintained their firm stance on the rigorous interrogation process, claiming that Sun-Kyun had purportedly agreed to it. He said, “The investigation of the deceased was conducted based on specific reports, testimony, and evidence and under legally prescribed procedures." Moreover, it's worth highlighting that Sun-kyun successfully cleared multiple drug tests amidst the ongoing investigation into alleged drug involvement.

Furthermore, former South Korean President Moon Jae-in denounced the investigative methods employed by the Incheon police concerning Sun-kyun and insisted that such aggressive tactics should cease immediately. He said, “The practice that does huge damage to someone's honor and character, such as excessively putting them at a media photo line, and pushes them to take the extreme choice must now end,” as per Reuters. The deceased actor gained widespread recognition for his portrayal in the 2019 comedy-thriller Parasite, a groundbreaking film that made history as the first non-English language movie to secure the prestigious Academy Award for Best Picture in 2020.