This article contains mentions of suicide and drug use.
The news of Lee Sun-kyun‘s death by apparent suicide left fans heartbroken on Wednesday. One of the South Korean actor’s finest moments on screen from a beloved Netflix drama has offered some solace.
Lee was perhaps best known to Western audiences for his role as the dashing husband and father of the wealthy family in Bong Joon-Ho’s Oscar-winning film Parasite. However, for many, his career-defining role came with the 2018 series My Mister. The actor played a stoic engineer who secretly struggles with professional and personal challenges and acts as an unexpected mentor and companion to K-pop star IU‘s disillusioned younger deuteragonist.
The importance of My Mister and Lee Sun-Kyun’s performance
So much of My Mister deals with the trials and tribulations of human existence and choosing compassion and love despite past mistakes. It all culminates with a beautiful scene between the two stars from the show’s 15th episode, which has just gained new meaning for fans in light of Lee’s untimely death. His character, Dong-Hoon, who had been beaten down by life and inert in the face of disappointment, finally makes the active decision to be happy and let go of expectations and shame. For many, the show’s themes brought comfort and catharsis, anchored by Lee’s powerful performance.
Despite this particular scene’s importance in the show’s narrative, many other moments resonated with audiences across My Mister, including Lee’s last line in the finale, “Ji-an, were you able to find some comfort for yourself?.”
How did Lee Sun-kyun die?
According to the South Korean news agency, Yonhap, Lee’s wife, fellow South Korean actress Jeon Hye-jin, alerted authorities after finding an apparent suicide note in their home. The police found the 48-year-old actor dead inside a car in a central Seoul park.
Lee had been at the center of a highly publicized police investigation for drug use over the last few months and was being intensely interrogated over the weekend. One session lasted up to 19 hours, Reuters reported. In a statement released in October, the Parasite actor apologized for the ordeal and for the pain it had caused his family. Lee maintained that he had been tricked by a bar hostess into taking the substances and had since been blackmailed. If charged, he could have faced 6 months in jail due to South Korea’s firm drug laws.
Lee Sun-kyun is survived by his wife and two sons.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. A list of international crisis resources can be found here.