(Seoul) The film’s Oscar-winning director ParasiteBong Joon-ho, and other South Korean artists have called for a thorough investigation into the death of popular actor Lee Sun-kyun, who played the head of a wealthy family in the satirical film.
Lee, 48, was found dead Dec. 27 in an apparent suicide following an intense week-long police investigation into his alleged drug use.
At a nationally televised news conference Friday, Bong and other artists, writers, performers and producers questioned why police summoned Lee repeatedly in front of television cameras and whether she had inappropriately disclosed information about the investigation to the media.
They also questioned whether the media had published overly sensationalized reports about Lee’s private life, unrelated to the drug investigation.
“We urge relevant officials to fully investigate whether there were any issues with (information) security in connection with the police investigation,” they said in a statement.
They stressed that Lee had suffered “serious defamation” before his death and called for a review of laws to protect human rights in criminal investigations.
Police were investigating allegations that Lee used illegal drugs at the home of a bar hostess. Lee insisted he was tricked into taking the drugs and did not know what they were, according to South Korean media.
The investigation resulted in extensive tabloid coverage of Lee and unconfirmed online rumors about his private life. Lee filed a complaint against two people, including the hostess, alleging they blackmailed him.
Parasite won the Academy Award for Best Picture and three other awards in 2020. It is the first non-English language film to win the Best Picture award in the history of the Academy Awards and the first South Korean film to receive an Academy Award.
Lee, who has long been a popular actor in South Korea, was nominated for the best actor award at the Emmy Awards for his performance in the sci-fi thriller Dr Brain Last year.