Oscar winner Parasite director Bong Joon-ho and different artists in South Korea have known as for a radical investigation into the demise of well-known actor Lee Solar-kyun, who performed the pinnacle of a rich household in Bong's class satire.
Lee, 48, was discovered lifeless in his automobile on December 27 in what’s broadly seen as a suicide after an intense weeks-long police investigation into his alleged drug use.
In a nationally televised press convention on Friday, Bong and different artists, writers, performers and producers questioned why police repeatedly summoned Lee in entrance of TV cameras and whether or not they had inappropriately leaked details about the investigation to the media.
The group additionally questioned whether or not the media had overly sensationalized reviews about Lee's non-public life that had been unrelated to the drug investigation.
“We urge the related officers to totally examine whether or not there have been any issues with the safety of [the information] within the police investigation,” they mentioned in a press release.
They mentioned Lee had undergone “extreme character assassination” earlier than his demise, and known as for a evaluate of legal guidelines to guard human rights in prison investigations.
Police had been investigating allegations that Lee used unlawful medicine on the residence of a bar hostess. Lee insisted he had been tricked into taking the medicine and didn’t know what they had been, in line with South Korean media.
The investigation prompted in depth tabloid protection of Lee and unconfirmed on-line rumors about his non-public life. Lee filed a lawsuit towards two individuals, together with the hostess, claiming they blackmailed him.
Parasite gained the Oscars for greatest image and three different classes in 2020. It was the primary non-English language movie to win greatest image within the historical past of the Academy Awards and was the primary South Korean movie to win an Oscar.
Lee, who had been a well-liked actor in South Korea, was nominated for greatest actor on the Worldwide Emmy Awards for his efficiency within the sci-fi thriller. Dr. Mind final 12 months.
South Korea has strict anti-drug legal guidelines and has lengthy had the very best suicide price amongst developed nations. He has skilled a sequence of movie star suicides involving Ok-pop stars, outstanding politicians and enterprise leaders. Most of the movie star suicides have been blamed on malicious and abusive on-line feedback and extreme cyberbullying.
