Lee Sun-Kyun Wanted Lie Detector Test for a ‘Drugs Blackmail Plot’ Hours Before His Sudden Demise

Renowned South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, celebrated for his role in the Oscar-winning movie Parasite, was tragically found dead in a car at a park in Seoul, a day after volunteering for a lie detector test in a drug investigation. The request was important in establishing his innocence, as per a report by Yonhap News Agency.

The 30km west of Seoul, Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency, received a formal request for a polygraph test from Sun-Kyun's legal representatives. According to The Korea Herald reports, Sun-Kyun claimed that he was a victim of a blackmail scheme where he was deceived and extorted for $270,000 (£212,000). Despite these accusations, he had been cleared of drug use by two distinct tests: an immediate reagent test conducted by the police and a more comprehensive laboratory test by the National Forensic Service. His last public appearance was on Saturday, December 23, when he arrived at a police station in Incheon for an interrogation that reportedly lasted an exhausting 19 hours.

Sun-Kyun's passing comes just a day after his appeal for a lie detector test in a quest to prove his innocence. His legal team communicated to Yonhap News Agency their stance on the matter. They contended that positive drug test results would have corroborated the allegations. Yet, with the results coming back negative, they proposed that a lie detector test for both involved parties would be a more scientific method to ascertain the truth.

This police inquiry, conducted previously, represented the most recent probe in an ongoing series of investigations related to these claims. Despite the forensic evidence clearing him of drug use, the pressure of the situation and the glare of the media spotlight appeared to have taken a significant toll on Sun-Kyun. The authorities were in the process of deciding on the actor's request for polygraph testing. Details about the involved bar hostess are scarce, but she's reportedly in her 20s and employed at a high-end establishment in Seoul's Gangnam area.

Sun-kyun claimed that the hostess deceived him into consuming drugs, believing he was taking something else. During his interrogation, he mentioned meeting the hostess four times and snorting a substance he assumed was a crushed sleeping pill, which she later identified as ketamine. After an extensive questioning session at the police station on Saturday, Sun-kyun appeared, expressing his regret about the timing and hoping for the police to judiciously assess the credibility of the statements between him and the alleged blackmailers. Sun-Kyun's lawyer stated, "The National Forensic Service’s drug test should have been positive if she was telling the truth, but it was negative. Lee is in a very unjust situation, so a lie detector test should be done on both of them to scientifically confirm who is lying and who is not."