'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQG/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQP/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAL9MFf/EACQQAAIBAgMJAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIDBAABBQYSBxETIiMyYnKy/9oACAEBAAE/AMMTnOZPSqG/HWnEAG2kRZaQ4g36fKBs9+4qNG1Cx3sWvf5jF1fVf//EABcRAAMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABEQP/2gAIAQIBAT8Aycp//8QAFxEBAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQADIf/aAAgBAwEBPwC7Un//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Disclaimer: The article talks about possible suicide and drug abuse. Reader's discretion is advised.
On December 27, 2023, famed South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, husband of actress Jeon Hye-jin, was found dead in his car in Seoul.
A charcoal briquette, which can cause carbon monoxide poisoning, was found in the car's passenger seat. According to Yonhap News Agency, the actor's death is thought to be an apparent suicide, as stated by the Seoul police.
As per Sky News, on Wednesday, at 10:30 am, an unconscious man in his 40s was found in a car park. The police later identified him as actor Lee Sun-kyun. An earlier report stated that Lee Sun-kyun's wife, Jeon Hye-jin, told the police that she discovered a memo resembling a suicide note written by him after her husband had left home that morning.
However, later reports from Yonhap reveal that it was Lee Sun-kyun's manager who found the alleged suicide note and called the police. Lee Sun-kyun's body was taken to Seoul National University Hospital on discovery.
Lee Sun-kyun's popularity skyrocketed after his portrayal of the wealthy businessman and patriarch of the Park family in Bong Joon-ho's Oscar-winning Korean movie Parasite. He married his long-time girlfriend and fellow actress Jeon Hye-jin in 2009.
Jeon Hye-jin, wife of Lee Sun-kyun, is an award-winning Korean actress
Born on August 10, 1976, Jeon Hye-jin is a 47-year-old South Korean actress best known for her roles in the Korean historical drama The Throne and the crime-action film The Merciless.
She began her career in the entertainment industry by contesting in the 1997 Miss Korea pageant. Jeon Hye-jin made her acting debut with a minor role in the film A Killing Story while she was a directing student at Sangmyung University.
While she never envisioned herself as an actress, Jeon Hye-jin fell in love with the theater world. She began her theatrical voyage working for the theatre company Chaimu. Using the stage name Jeon Yi-da, she worked in productions like The Moral Thief, There, The Sogue, Shape, and Unification Express.
As per IMDb, Jeon Hye-jin switched to television in 2002, playing minor roles in Korean dramas. Her breakout role was as Consort Yeong in Lee Joon-ik's historical drama The Throne in 2015, for which she won a Blue Dragon Film Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Jeon Hye-jin, a highly decorated actress, has been nominated for several awards, including the KOFRA Film Awards, the Korean Association of Film Critics Awards, and The Seoul Awards.
According to AsianWiki, Jeon Hye-jin and Lee Sun-kyun married on May 23, 2009, after almost seven years of dating. They have two sons. Their first son was born on November 25, 200,9, and their second son was born on August 9, 2011. Though Jeon Hye-jin and Lee Sun-kyun were a high-profile celebrity couple, they had kept their relationship and family out of the limelight.
Lee Sun-kyun was under investigation for alleged drug use before his apparent suicide
As per Yonhap, a highly reputable news agency in South Korea, Lee Sun-kyun had undergone three rounds of police questioning after allegations arose that he had been partaking in marijuana and other illegal drugs at the home of a hostess working in a high-end bar in Seoul.
Yonhap reported that the last round of questioning conducted at Incheon Police Station on December 23, 2023, lasted 19 hours. The police first booked Lee Sun-kyun in late October as a suspected drug user after receiving a tip-off that illegal drugs were being distributed in bars in the Gangnam district.
Lee Sun-kyun filed a complaint stating that the hostess was allegedly blackmailing and extorting him. The hostess, in return, claimed that the actor had visited her home multiple times to take drugs, which the actor denied.
The actor took a hit as the alleged drug news tarnished his reputation, causing him to withdraw from several projects, including a Korean mystery series called No Way Out.
The Guardian reported that Lee Sun-kyun apologized for "causing great disappointment" to his family when he first appeared for questioning on October 28, 2023. He stated,
"I sincerely apologise for causing great disappointment to many people by being involved in such an unpleasant incident. I am sorry for my family, who are enduring extreme pain at this moment."
Drug offenses are a severe crime in South Korea, with the use of marijuana having a prison sentence of up to five years. According to Reuters, if convicted, Lee Sun-kyun could have been imprisoned for six months to 14 years, depending on the severity of his crime.
According to the BBC, Lee Sun-kyun's agency, HODU&U Entertainment, confirmed his death in a released statement. The statement read,
"There is no way to contain the sorrow and despair. We respectfully ask that you refrain from spreading false facts based on speculation... so that [Lee's] final journey will not be unfair."
Lee Sun-kyun's many accolades include a Screen Actors Guild Award along with his castmates for Parasite. He is best known for Coffee Prince, Helpless, and All About My Wife.
Obsessed with Crosswords, Wordle, and other word games? Take our quick survey and let us get to know you better!
