South Korean actor Lee Sun-Kyun, known for his role in the famous film “Parasite,” which won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2020, died this Wednesday morning, at the age of 48.

Legal prosecutions

Lee, 48, who played the head of a wealthy family in the film, was subjected to investigation over accusations of illegal drug use amid a government campaign in which the police interrogated him three times.

South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported that the actor said during the investigation that he was tricked into taking drugs by a waitress at a bar who tried to blackmail him.

The civil defense official said, on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the case, that authorities found Lee during a search operation after a report of his disappearance.

A distinguished march

The actor, who was married to actress Jeon Hye Jin with whom he has two children, had a career spanning more than two decades.
He has starred in dozens of films and television shows, and became a household name during the 2000s.
The late actor rose to international fame as Park Dong-ik in Parasite, the patriarch of the wealthy Park family who is infiltrated by members of a poor family.
The film won four awards at the 2020 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, becoming the first non-English language film to win the award.