Parasite actor Lee Sun-kyun's heartbreaking statement before tragic death
Parasite star Lee Sun-kyun had been under police investigation over his alleged use of marijuana and other psychoactive drugs - prompting him to make a sad statement to reporters months prior to his death on Wednesday.
In October, the South Korean actor, 48, had been on his way to an Incheon police station to meet with investigators when he spoke to reporters. He said in a brief statement: "I sincerely apologise for causing great disappointment to many people by being involved in such an unpleasant incident. I feel sorry for my family, which is enduring such difficult pain at this moment."
South Korea has strict drug laws, with some drug crimes punishable for up to 14 years for dealers and repeat offenders. They are usually punishable by at least six months in prison.
South Korean news agency Yonhap reported that he had been questioned for 19 hours over the weekend, with the actor claiming that a bar hostess had tricked him into taking drugs before trying to blackmail him.
Lee Sun-kyun issued a statement to reporters in October (YONHAP/AFP via Getty Images)The star claimed during police questioning: "I inhaled using a straw through my nose but thought it was a sleeping pill. I had no idea it was a drug." The investigation also determined that the manager had provided precise dates and locations for five drug-related incidents.
The bar hostess claimed: "I saw Lee Sun-kyun inhale ketamine powder using a straw. I mentioned ketamine to him and he seemed curious, so I got it for him and he used it." Lee had asked the Drug Crime Investigation Unit of the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency to administer a polygraph test through his legal representative.
"We are in an incredibly unjust situation, Lee Sun Gyun should undergo a polygraph test to scientifically verify whose statement is accurate," the actor's lawyer said.
Emergency services discovered the 48-year-old star in Seoul, South Korea, inside a car after his panicked family reported him missing after finding a message similar to a suicide note. South Korean media said he was found slumped in a vehicle next to a charcoal briquette - used for starting fires.
Lee shot to worldwide fame after the 2019 comedy thriller Parasite became the first non-English language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2020. The movie won four Oscars, plus a Golden Globe, a BAFTA and a Screen Actors Guild award.
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