Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun had his first acting credit in 2003, but in 2019, when he acted in the film “Parasite,” he became famous internationally. “Parasite” won multiple Academy Awards at the awards show held in 2020. The film not only won the Oscar for Best International Feature Film but also Best Film Editing, Best Production Design, Best Screenplay, Best Director, and the ultimate Academy Award, Best Picture. This was the first time in the Academy Awards history that a film in a language other than English won the Best Picture award.

While Sun-kyun was once enjoying a successful career, now his career and life are over. He died on December 27, 2023, at 48 years old. His manager reported him missing to the police, who began searching for him. They eventually found him unconscious inside his car, which was parked on a street in Seoul, South Korea.

A cause of death has yet to be officially announced or determined since a toxicology report hasn’t come back yet; however, in the weeks leading up to his death, police had been investigating him for alleged drug use, which holds very serious consequences in South Korea.

Allegedly, Sun-kyun used illegal drugs at a bar hostess’s residence. Sun-kyun did not deny taking drugs to the police, but he claimed that he was tricked into using drugs and didn’t know he was using illegal drugs.

Regardless of whether or not Sun-kyun did intentionally use illegal drugs, the police investigation caused his personal life to be splashed across tabloids in South Korea, where he has been a big star since long before “Parasite.”

While a cause of death has not been released, his family has hinted at a potential suicide. They told the police that when they discovered he was missing, they also discovered a note he left that seemed like a suicide note.

Watch the video below for more about Sun-kyun’s career and the sad end to his life.

Sun-kyun is survived by his wife, actress Jeon Hye-jin, and two sons.