Lee Sun-kyun

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Lee Sun-kyun
이선균
Lee in October 2018
Born(1975-03-02)March 2, 1975
Seoul, South Korea
DiedDecember 27, 2023(2023-12-27) (aged 48)
Seoul, South Korea
Cause of deathSuicide by carbon monoxide poisoning
EducationKorea National University of Arts (BFA)
OccupationActor
Years active2000–2023
AgentHodu&U Entertainment [ko]
Spouse
(m. 2009)
Children2
Korean name
Hangul
이선균
Hanja
Revised RomanizationI Seon(-)gyun
McCune–ReischauerYi Sŏn'gyun
Signature

Lee Sun-kyun (Korean이선균; March 2, 1975 – December 27, 2023) was a South Korean actor. Internationally, he was best known for his role in Bong Joon-ho's Academy Award–winning film Parasite (2019), for which he won a Screen Actors Guild Award along with his castmates. He received several other awards, including a nomination for an International Emmy Award.[1]

Lee debuted as an actor in 2000 and performed in TV dramas and musical theatre. The dramas Coffee Prince and Behind the White Tower (both 2007) brought Lee mainstream popularity, which he followed with Pasta (2010), Golden Time (2012) and My Mister (2018).

Meanwhile, on the big screen, he received a Best Actor award from the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival for his role in Paju (2009), followed by critical acclaim for mystery thriller Helpless (2012), romantic comedy All About My Wife (2012), and crime/black comedy A Hard Day (2014). Lee also continued to collaborate with director Hong Sang-soo, and his arthouse films with Hong include Night and Day (2008), Oki's Movie (2010), and Nobody's Daughter Haewon (2013).

On December 27, 2023, Lee died from carbon monoxide poisoning at the age of 48. At the time of his death, Lee had been investigated for alleged drug consumption.[2]

Early life[edit]

Lee Sun-kyun was born in Seoul on March 2, 1975.[3][4] He attended the Korea National University of Arts in 1994, and graduated in the first ever class of its School of Drama with a Bachelor of Fine Arts.[5][6]

Career[edit]

2000–2012: Acting beginnings[edit]

Lee made his debut as the lead actor in the 2000 short film Psycho Drama.[7] In 2001, he made his stage acting debut as Brad Majors in the stage musical The Rocky Horror Show,[8] and his television debut in the sitcom Lovers.[5]

Lee eventually achieved his breakthrough in 2007 with the critically lauded medical drama White Tower and the highly popular romantic series Coffee Prince.[9] He was nominated for Best New Actor in Television during the 43rd Baeksang Arts Awards.[7] Besides Coffee Prince, he worked with director Lee Yoon-jung two other times—in the sports-themed Taereung National Village in 2005, and in the slice-of-life drama Triple in 2009.[10]

Despite his burgeoning fame, Lee then turned to low-budget arthouse films to polish his acting caliber. He appeared in films directed by Hong Sang-soo, such Night and Day, Lost in the Mountains, Oki's Movie, Nobody's Daughter Haewon and Our Sunhi. Hong had been renowned for his realistic portrayal of ordinary lives in his films.[8] Lee also headlined Paju,[11] for which he won the Best Actor award at the Las 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 in Pasta, 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 his My Sweet Seoul co-star Choi Kang-hee,[17][18][19] and one-upmanship action comedy Officer of the Year (also known as Arrest King) soon followed.[20][21]

Lee showed his support for the revival of Drama Special (formerly Drama City) by starring in Our Slightly Risque Relationship (his acting was later recognized at the KBS 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]

2012–2017: Rising success[edit]

In 2012, he starred in two consecutive well-reviewed big-screen hits—mystery thriller Helpless[23] and romantic comedy All About My Wife.[24][25] Reuniting with Pasta director Kwon Seok-jang, Lee played a trauma doctor in Golden Time.[26] His third collaboration with Kwon was Miss Korea, a drama set amidst the IMF crisis in the 1990s.[27][28]

Lee returned to the theater opposite wife Jeon Hye-jin in Mike Bartlett's stage play Love, Love, Love in 2013.[29] The following year, he headlined the film A Hard Day, which screened at the Directors' Fortnight section of the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, and became a critically acclaimed sleeper hit at the box office.[30][31][32]

In 2015, Lee starred in the courtroom drama film The Advocate: A Missing Body.[33][34]

Lee in October 2016

2018–2023: Return to television and resurgence[edit]

In 2018, Lee starred in the critically acclaimed television series My Mister.[35][36] The same year he starred in the action thriller film Take Point.[37] In 2019, Lee starred in the legal television series Prosecutor Civil War.[38]

Lee (fifth from left) in April 2019 with Parasite cast

In 2019, Lee had a starring role in the critically acclaimed film Parasite as Park Dong-ik (Nathan; 박동익; Bak Dongik), the Park family father. Parasite was directed by Bong Joon-ho and became the first South Korean film to win the Palme d'Or as well as the Academy Award for Best Picture.[5][39] The cast of Parasite, including Lee, also received an SAG 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 for Apple TV+. As the drama series debut of renowned filmmaker Kim 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 50th International Emmy Awards.[3] The same year, Lee appeared in the political drama film Kingmaker as political strategist.[43][44] He received a nomination for Best Actor for his role in the film at the 58th Baeksang Arts Awards; however, the award went to his costar Sol Kyung-gu.[45]

In 2023, Lee starred alongside Lee Ha-nee (Honey Lee) in Lee Won-suk's comedy Killing 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 alongside Jung Yu-mi in the critically acclaimed horror film Sleep.[48]

Personal life[edit]

Marriage[edit]

Lee married his partner of seven years, actress Jeon 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]

Drug use allegations and death[edit]

Lee attends police questioning for his allegations

In October 2023, it was revealed that Lee was booked for internal investigation over suspected drug use.[54] As a result, he voluntarily dropped out of No 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 to Incheon 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 additional lie detector test through his lawyer. The complaint is that it is unfair to be accused of drug use in a situation where there is only a statement and no physical evidence.[61] Lee had admitted that the drugs 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] 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 was heavily covered by South Korean media.[63]

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 nearby Waryong Park in central Seoul.[64][5] In the passenger seat was a charcoal briquette commonly used in suicide via carbon monoxide poisoning in South Korea.[65][66][67] The police earlier received a report from his wife that Lee had left home after "writing a memo akin to a suicide note".[68][69][70] Lee's funeral was held at the funeral hall of Seoul National University Hospital, and he was buried on the 29th in Yeonhwajang, Suwon.[71] Lee's death came amidst multiple suspected suicides among South Korean celebrities, and an analysis article by CNN said it cast a spotlight on the high-pressure environment in South Korea's entertainment industry.[72] Following Lee's death, a woman was arrested following allegations she had blackmailed him,[73][74] and has been sent to prosecution.[75] Director Bong Joon-ho and other prominent figures demanded an inquiry into the role of South Korean media and police in Lee's death.[76][77][78]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2000 Psycho Drama Park Dong-woo Short film
2002 Make It Big Woo Jung-chul
Surprise Party the real Kim Jung-woo
A Perfect Match Doctor
Boss X-File Gangster
2003 Goodbye Day Short film
Scent of Love Doctor Shin
Show Show Show Sang-chul [79]
Survival Meeting Game Short film
2004 Hitchhiking Man
My Mother, the Mermaid Do-hyeon
Love, So Divine Man in lovey dovey couple
R-Point Sergeant Park
2005 Curry and Rice Story Short film
Erotic Chaos Boy
2006 The Customer Is Always Right Lee Jang-gil
A Cruel Attendance Cheon Man-ho
2007 Our Town Jae-shin [80]
2008 Night and Day Yoon Kyeong-soo
Sa-kwa Min-seok
Romantic Island Kang Jae-hyuk [81]
2009 Lost in the Mountains Myeong-woo Short film from

Jeonju Digital Project Visitors

Paju Kim Joong-shik
2010 Oki's Movie Nam Jin-gu
Petty Romance Jeong Bae
2011 Officer of the Year Jung Eui-chan
2012 Helpless Jang Mun-ho
All About My Wife Lee Doo-hyun
2013 Nobody's Daughter Haewon Lee Seong-joon
Our Sunhi Mun-su
2014 A Hard Day Ko Gun-su
2015 The Advocate: A Missing Body Byeon Ho-sung
2017 The King's Case Note Yejong of Joseon [82]
Man of Will Go Jong Special appearance
A Special Lady Im Sang-hoon [83]
2018 Take Point Yoon Ji-eui [84]
2019 Jo Pil-ho: The Dawning Rage [85]
Parasite Park Dong-ik (Nathan) First South Korean film to win the Palme d'Or.
2020 Mr. Zoo: The Missing VIP Black goat (voice)
2022 Kingmaker Seo Chang-dae [86][87]
2023 Killing Romance Jonathan Na [88]
Project Silence Cha Jung-won Screened at Cannes Film Festival [89][90]
Sleep Hyun-soo [91][92]
TBA The Land of Happiness Posthumous release [93]

Television series[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2002 Lovers Lee Sun-kyun
2003 Thousand Years of Love Pil-ga
MBC Best Theater "Chakhan Dangshin Loveholic"
MBC Best Theater "Dad Romeo, Mom Juliet"
Drama City "18-year-old Bride"
2004 Drama City "Semi-transparent" Dong-soo
Drama City "Dr. Love"
2005 Drama City "Love of a Spider Woman"
Drama City "Innocent Love"
Loveholic Kim Tae-hyun
MBC Best Theater "Taereung National Village" Lee Dong-kyung
2006 Fugitive Lee Doo-yong Noh Cheol-ki
MBC Best Theater "Behind"
2007 White Tower Choi Do-young
Coffee Prince Choi Han-sung
2008 My Sweet Seoul Kim Young-soo
2009 Triple Jo Hae-yoon
2010 Pasta Choi Hyun-wook
Our Slightly Risque Relationship Ki Dong-chan Drama special
2012 Golden Time Lee Min-woo
2013 Miss Korea Kim Hyung-joon
2016 Listen to Love Do Hyun-woo [94]
Don't Dare to Dream Na-ri's blind date (Voice) Cameo (ep. 15)
2018 My Mister Park Dong-hoon [95]
2019–2020 Diary of a Prosecutor Lee Seon-woong (이선웅) [96]
2023 Payback Eun Yong [97]

Web series[edit]

Year Title Role Ref.
2021 Dr. Brain Se-won [98]
TBA No Way Out Baek Joong-sik [99]

Television shows[edit]

Year Title Role Ref.
2013 March: A Story of Friends Cast member
2019 Trans-Siberian Pathfinders
2023 Very Private Southeast Asia [100]

Music video appearances[edit]

Year Song title Artist
1999 "It's OK" Bijou
2001 "You Remain in My Heart" Lucid Fall
2007 "Arirang" SG Wannabe
2008 "Between Hidden Time" Yoon Gun
2012 "Deep Night Sad Song" E2RE

Stage credit[edit]

Theater[edit]

Theater play performances
Year Title Role Theater Date Ref.
English Korean
2005 Indangsu Love Song 인당수 사랑가 Valentine's Theatre 3 April 22 to September 11
2013 Love, Love, Love 러브 러브 러브 Kenneth Myeongdong Arts Theatre March 27 to April 21 [101]

Musical[edit]

Musical performances
Year Title Role Theater Date Ref.
English Korean
2001 The Rocky Horror Show 록키 호러 쇼 Brad Majors the Polymedia Theater in Dongsung-dong July 17 to August 26 [102][103]
2003 Grease 그리스 Danny Zuko Dongsung Art Centre Dongsung Hall August to November 16 [104][105]

Discography[edit]

Title Year Album
"Ocean Voyage (Choi Han-sung version)" 2007 Coffee Prince OST
"My Sweet City" 2008 My Sweet Seoul OST
"Romantic Christmas"
(with Eugene)
Romantic Island Christmas Story single
"Boy"
(with Yoon Sang )
Song Book: Play With Him album
"Kangaroo"
(with Choi Kang-hee)
2010 Petty Romance OST
"Gift for You"
(with Choi Kang-hee, Song Ji-hyo and Kim Byung-man)
2011 Non-album single

Awards and nominations[edit]

Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination
Award ceremony Year Category Nominee / Work Result Ref.
APAN Star Awards 2018 Grand Prize (Daesang) My Mister Nominated [106]
Baeksang Arts Awards 2007 Best New Actor – Television White Tower Nominated [7]
2015 Best Actor – Film A Hard Day Won [107]
2019 Best Actor – Television My Mister Nominated [108]
2022 Best Actor – Film Kingmaker Nominated [109]
Blue Dragon Film Awards 2014 Best Leading Actor A Hard Day Nominated
Buil Film Awards 2014 Best Actor Nominated [110]
CETV Awards 2010 Top 10 Asian Stars Pasta Won [111]
Chunsa Film Art Awards 2015 Best Actor A Hard Day Nominated [112]
Critics' Choice Awards 2020 Best Acting Ensemble Parasite Nominated [113]
Herald DongA TV Lifestyle Awards 2012 Best Dressed Lee Sun-kyun Won [114]
International Emmy Awards 2022 Best Performance by an Actor Dr. Brain Nominated [115]
KBS Drama Awards 2004 Best Actor in a One-Act/Drama Special Dr. Love Nominated
2010 Our Slightly Risque Relationship Won [116]
Korea Advertisers Association 2008 Good Model Award Lee Sun-kyun Won [117]
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival 2010 Best Actor Paju Won [118]
MBC Drama Awards 2007 Golden Acting Award, Actor in a Miniseries White Tower Won [119]
Excellence Award, Actor Coffee Prince Nominated
2010 Top Excellence Award, Actor Pasta Nominated
Best Couple Award Lee Sun-kyun
(with Gong Hyo-jin)
Won [120]
2012 Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries Golden Time Nominated
2014 Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries Miss Korea Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards 2020 Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Parasite Won [121]
The Seoul Awards 2018 Best Actor (TV) My Mister Nominated [122]
Asian Pop-Up Cinema 2023 Award for Excellent Achievement in Film Lee Sun-kyun Won [123]

State honors[edit]

Name of country, year given, and name of honor
Country Or Organization Year Honor Or Award Ref.
South Korea[note 1] 2018 Prime Minister's Commendation [127]

Listicles[edit]

Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement
Publisher Year Listicle Rank Ref.
The Screen 2019 2009–2019 Top Box Office Powerhouse Actors in Korean Movies 32nd [128]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Honors are given at the Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards, arranged by the Korea Creative Content Agency and hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.[124][125] They are awarded to those who have contributed to the arts and South Korea's pop culture.[126]

References[edit]

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External links[edit]