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).
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]
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 musicalThe 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 dramaWhite 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
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]
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]
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
Marriage
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
In 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 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]
^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]. My Daily (in Korean).
Naver.
Archived from the original on November 27, 2021. Retrieved November 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. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
^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. Retrieved November 16, 2021 – via Naver.
^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. Retrieved February 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. Retrieved October 13, 2021 – via Naver.
^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. Retrieved April 17, 2023 – via Naver.
^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. Retrieved July 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 – via Naver.
^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. Retrieved September 7, 2022 – via Naver.
^Kim Myung-mi (August 10, 2023).
"이선균 유재명 김무열 이광수 '노 웨이 아웃' 캐스팅…10월 크랭크인[공식]" [Lee Sun-kyun, Yoo Jae-myung, Kim Moo-yeol, and Lee Kwang-soo cast in 'No Way Out'... October Crank-in [Official]] (in Korean). Newsen.
Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023 – via Naver.
^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]] (in Korean). Sports DongA.
Archived from the original on February 27, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2023 – via Naver.
^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. Retrieved April 11, 2022 – via
Naver.
^"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. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lee Sun-kyun.