Following the success ofParasite, Lee continued to take on diverse and critically acclaimed roles. He starred in the firstApple TV+ Korean-language series,Dr. Brain (2021), the political dramaKingmaker (2022), the crime thrillerPayback: Money and Power (2023), and the psychological thrillerSleep (2023).
On December 27, 2023, Lee died from suicide at the age of 48. At the time of his death, Lee had been investigated for alleged drug consumption.[2]
Lee made his debut as the lead actor in the 2000 short filmPsycho Drama.[7] In 2001, he made his stage acting debut as Brad Majors in thestage musicalThe Rocky Horror Show,[8] and his television debut in the sitcomLovers.[5]
Lee eventually achieved his breakthrough in 2007 with the critically laudedmedical dramaWhite Tower and the highly popular romantic seriesCoffee Prince.[9] He was nominated for Best New Actor in Television during the43rd Baeksang Arts Awards.[7] BesidesCoffee Prince, he worked with director Lee Yoon-jung two other times—in the sports-themedTaereung National Village in 2005, and in the slice-of-life dramaTriple in 2009.[10]
Despite his burgeoning fame, Lee then turned to low-budgetarthouse films to polish his acting caliber. He appeared in films directed byHong Sang-soo, suchNight and Day,Lost in the Mountains,Oki's Movie,Nobody's Daughter Haewon andOur Sunhi. Hong had been renowned for his realistic portrayal of ordinary lives in his films.[8] Lee also headlinedPaju,[11] for which he won the Best Actor award at theLas Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival held in Spain. Film distributor Myung Film quoted the judging committee as handing Lee high points for portraying the anguish his character felt for loving his wife's younger sister.[12]
Lee successfully shook off his "gentle" TV drama image inPasta, where he played a brilliant-but-abrasive chef.[13] The series' popularity made him a bankable romantic leading man.[14][15][16]Petty Romance reunited him with hisMy Sweet Seoul co-starChoi Kang-hee,[17][18][19] andone-upmanship action comedyOfficer of the Year (also known asArrest King) soon followed.[20][21]
Lee showed his support for the revival of Drama Special (formerlyDrama City) by starring inOur Slightly Risque Relationship (his acting was later recognized at theKBS Drama Awards). He continually defended the importance of the short drama format as a training ground for young talent, acknowledging its contribution to his own career.[22]
In 2018, Lee starred in the critically acclaimed television seriesMy Mister.[35][36] The same year he starred in the action thriller filmTake Point.[37] In 2019, Lee starred in the legal television seriesProsecutor Civil War.[38]
Lee (fifth from left) in April 2019 withParasite cast
In 2019, Lee had a starring role in the critically acclaimed filmParasite as Park Dong-ik (Nathan;박동익;Bak Dongik), the Park family father.Parasite was directed byBong Joon-ho and became the first South Korean film to win thePalme d'Or as well as theAcademy Award for Best Picture.[5][39] The cast ofParasite, including Lee, also received anSAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.[40]
In 2021, Lee played a neuroscientist trying to solve the mysterious death of his family by hacking into the brains of the deceased.Dr. Brain is the first Korean-language show produced forApple TV+. As the drama series debut of renowned filmmakerKim Jee-woon, the sci-fi thriller is based on the Korean webtoon of the same name.[5][41][42] For his performance he was nominated for a Best Actor award for the 50thInternational Emmy Awards.[3] The same year, Lee appeared in the political drama filmKingmaker as political strategist.[43][44] He received a nomination for Best Actor for his role in the film at the58th Baeksang Arts Awards; however, the award went to his costarSul Kyung-gu.[45]
In 2023, Lee starred alongsideLee Ha-nee (Honey Lee) in Lee Won-suk's comedyKilling Romance. While the film received a tepid reaction upon release, it has since become a cult favorite in Korea, and made its North American debut at the 22nd New York Asian Film Festival on July 14, 2023.[46][47] In that same year, Lee also starred alongsideJung Yu-mi in the critically acclaimed horror filmSleep.[48]
Lee married his wife, actressJeon Hye-jin, on May 23, 2009.[49][50][51] Their agency announced that their first son was born on November 25, 2009.[52] The couple's second son was born on August 9, 2011.[53]
On October 19, 2023, it was revealed that Lee was booked for internal investigation over suspected drug use.[54] As a result, he voluntarily dropped out ofNo Way Out, an upcoming thriller drama serial which just started its production days before the revelation of his alleged drug use.[55][56] On October 24, he was charged on suspicion of using cannabis and psychoactive drugs, according toIncheon Metropolitan Police Agency, and was summoned for questioning on October 28.[57][58] Lee was also given a travel ban to prevent him from leaving the country during the course of investigations.[59] Initial test results of Lee's hair samples revealed that Lee tested negative for drugs, and further investigations were expected as of November 2023.[60] Lee first requested the police to conduct an additionallie detector test through his lawyer. Lee contended that the accusations of drug use based only on hearsay with no physical evidence were unfair.[61] After a third interrogation, which lasted over 19 hours, Lee admitted that he might have possibly taken drugs which were given to him by a hostess who he had been at a bar with, but said he was unaware that what he was given were illegal drugs, and that he had been deceived into doing so as part of a blackmail attempt.[62][63] Due to Lee's public persona as a "family man", and South Korean society's high moral expectations of public figures and strong social disapproval of both infidelity and drug use, Lee and the investigation were heavily covered by South Korean media.[64] The Korean opposition party questioned the coverage of Lee's suspected drug use, stating that it took public attention away from unfavorable developments involving the government and rulingPeople Power Party; member and Justice MinisterHan Dong-hoon commented that "the drug use issue was unrelated to politics".[65]
On December 27, 2023, at 10:30 a.m., Lee was found dead at the age of 48 inside his car at the road parking lot nearbyWaryong Park in central Seoul.[66][5] In the passenger seat was acharcoal briquette commonly used insuicide viacarbon monoxide poisoning in South Korea.[67][68][69] The police earlier received a report from his wife that Lee had left home after "writing a memo akin to asuicide note".[70][71][72] Lee's funeral was held at the funeral hall of Seoul National University Hospital, and he was buried on the 29th in Yeonhwajang,Suwon.[73] Lee's death came amidst multiple suspected suicides among South Korean celebrities, and an analysis article byCNN said it cast a spotlight on the high-pressure environment in South Korea's entertainment industry.[74] Following Lee's death, a woman was arrested following allegations she had blackmailed him.[75][76] DirectorBong Joon-ho and other prominent figures demanded an inquiry into the role of South Korean media and police in Lee's death.[77][78][79] On December 19, 2024, two women, a bar hostess surnamed Kim and a former actress surnamed Park who extorted₩350 million (2023) (US$268,063.15) from Lee were sentenced to 3.5 years and to 4 years and 2 months, respectively, with the judge stating that the extortion attempts had contributed to Lee's death.[80]
^Kwak Myeong-dong (November 15, 2021)."킹조합!" 설경구X이선균 '킹메이커', 그랜드 론칭에 폭발적 반응 ["King Guild!" Seol Kyung-gu X Lee Sun-kyun's 'King Maker', explosive reaction to grand launch].MyDaily (in Korean).Naver.Archived from the original on November 27, 2021. RetrievedNovember 27, 2021.
^Moon Ji-yeon (December 27, 2023)."거짓말 탐지기" 요청했던 이선균, 사망 비보..마약 수사 종결 수순 [Lee Seon-kyun, who requested a "lie detector", reports the death of.. drug investigation concluded] (in Korean).Sports Chosun.Archived from the original on December 27, 2023. RetrievedDecember 27, 2023.
^Choi, Young-Rim; Cha, Eun Shil; Chang, Shu-Sen; Khang, Young-Ho; Lee, Won Jin (December 27, 2014). "Suicide from carbon monoxide poisoning in South Korea: 2006-2012".Journal of Affective Disorders.167:322–325.doi:10.1016/j.jad.2014.06.026.PMID25016488.
^Park Jae-hwan (November 16, 2021)."사람을 믿지 말고 욕심을 믿으세요!" 설경구 대선도전 '킹메이커 ["Don't trust people, trust your greed!" Seol Kyung-gu's presidential election 'Kingmaker'] (in Korean).KBS Media.Archived from the original on November 16, 2021. RetrievedNovember 16, 2021 – viaNaver.
^Jeon Hyong-hwa (February 24, 2023).[단독] 이선균·이하늬·공명 '킬링로맨스' 4월 韓영화 개봉 지원작 선정 [[Exclusive] Lee Sun-kyun, Lee Ha-nui, Gong Myung 'Killing Romance' Selected as Support for Korean Film Release in April] (in Korean).Ilgan Sports.Archived from the original on February 24, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 24, 2023.
^Jeon Hyung-hwa (October 13, 2021).[단독]정유미·이선균, 공포 스릴러 '잠' 호흡..일상 무너뜨리는 공포 [종합] [[Exclusive] Yumi Jung and Seon-gyun Lee, the horror thriller 'Sleep' breathing..The fear that destroys everyday life [Comprehensive]] (in Korean).Star News.Archived from the original on September 17, 2023. RetrievedOctober 13, 2021 – viaNaver.
^Kang Nari (April 17, 2023).정유미X이선균 '잠', 제 76회 칸 국제영화제 비평가주간 공식 초청 [Jung Yoo-mi X Lee Sun-gyun 'Sleep', Official Invitation to the 76th Cannes International Film Festival Critics' Week] (in Korean).YTN.Archived from the original on April 17, 2023. RetrievedApril 17, 2023 – viaNaver.
^Park Jeong-sun (July 13, 2021).[단독] 이선균, '광해' 감독 신작 '행복의 나라' 출연 [[Exclusive] Lee Seon-gyun to appear in 'Gwanghae' director's new film 'Land of Happiness].JTBC (in Korean).Archived from the original on July 13, 2021. RetrievedJuly 13, 2021 – via V.daum.
^이선균 영화, '행복의 나라' 8월 개봉 [Lee Sun-kyun's movie 'Land of Happiness' to be released in August].KBS Star Entertainment. Park Jae-hwan. May 10, 2024.Archived from the original on May 13, 2024. RetrievedMay 13, 2024 – viaNaver.
^Hwang Hye-jin (September 7, 2022).이선균X문채원 '법쩐' 출연 확정, 내년 상반기 편성[공식] [Lee Sun-kyun X Moon Chae-won confirmed to appear in 'Law Money', organized in the first half of next year [Official]] (in Korean). Newsen.Archived from the original on September 7, 2022. RetrievedSeptember 7, 2022 – viaNaver.
^Hong, Se-young (February 27, 2023).이선균·장항준·김도현·김남희 '아주 사적인 동남아' 3월 27일 첫방 [공식] [Lee Seon-kyun, Jang Hang-joon, Kim Do-hyun, Kim Nam-hee 'Very Private Southeast Asia' premieres on March 27th [Official]].Sports DongA (in Korean).Archived from the original on February 27, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 27, 2023 – viaNaver.
^Ahn Byung-gil (April 11, 2022).58회 백상예술대상 후보 공개...영광의 주인공은? [58th Baeksang Arts Awards nominations revealed... Who is the hero of glory?] (in Korean).Sports Kyunghyang.Archived from the original on May 10, 2022. RetrievedApril 11, 2022 – viaNaver.
^Kim Ji-won (August 23, 2024).이선균, 부산영화제 한국영화공로상 수상자·특별전 주인공 선정 [Lee Sun-kyun, winner of the Busan International Film Festival Korean Film Achievement Award and selected as the main character of the special exhibition].Ten Asia (in Korean).Naver. RetrievedAugust 29, 2024.
^한국영화 배우 흥행 파워 TOP 배우 하정우 그러나 TOP 10위 안에 여성 배우는 실종...여성 주연 영화 부재가 원인 [Korean movie actor box office power TOP actor Ha Jung-woo but the female actor in the top 10 is missing... Due to the absence of female-starred films].RNX (in Korean). January 2, 2020.Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. RetrievedOctober 30, 2023.
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