Actor Lee Sun-kyun of Oscar-winning film 'Parasite' dies

Lee Sun-kyun, from left, Kim Hee-won and Ju Ji-hoon posefor the film 'Project Silence' at the 76th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, on May 22. Sun-kyon was found dead Wednesday in a car at a Seoul park.

Lee Sun-kyun, from left, Kim Hee-won and Ju Ji-hoon posefor the film 'Project Silence' at the 76th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, on May 22. Sun-kyon was found dead Wednesday in a car at a Seoul park. (Daniel Cole, Associated Press)


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SEOUL, South Korea — Actor Lee Sun-kyun of the Oscar-winning movie "Parasite" has died, South Korea's emergency office said Wednesday.

Lee was found dead in a car in a central Seoul park on Wednesday, it said.

Police earlier said an unconscious Lee was discovered at an unidentified Seoul location.

South Korean media outlets including Yonhap news agency reported that police had been searching for Lee after his family reported he left home after writing a message similar to a suicide note earlier Wednesday.

Lee was best known for his role in "Parasite," in which he played the head of a wealthy family. In 2021, he won a Screen Actors Guild award for "cast in a motion picture" for his role in the same film.

He was nominated for the best actor at the International Emmy Awards for his performance in the sci-fi thriller "Dr. Brain" last year.

Lee was a familiar figure on Korean screens for decades before his "Parasite" fame abroad. He became well-known for his role in a popular drama series, "Coffee Prince (2007)," and gained mainstream popularity with the medical drama "Behind The White Tower," followed by "Pasta (2010)" and My Mister (2018)."

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