30 Facts About Lee Sun-kyun

Lee Sun-kyun received several other awards, including a nomination for an International Emmy Award.

Lee Sun-kyun starred in the first Apple TV+ Korean-language series, Dr Brain, the political drama Kingmaker, the crime thriller Payback: Money and Power, and the psychological thriller Sleep.

On December 27,2023, Lee Sun-kyun died from suicide at the age of 48.

At the time of his death, Lee Sun-kyun had been investigated for alleged drug consumption.

Lee Sun-kyun 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.

Lee Sun-kyun made his debut as the lead actor in the 2000 short film Psycho Drama.

Lee Sun-kyun eventually achieved his breakthrough in 2007 with the critically lauded medical drama White Tower and the highly popular romantic series Coffee Prince.

Lee Sun-kyun was nominated for Best New Actor in Television during the 43rd Baeksang Arts Awards.

Lee Sun-kyun 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.

Lee Sun-kyun headlined Paju, for which he won the Best Actor award at the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival held in Spain.

Lee Sun-kyun successfully shook off his "gentle" TV drama image in Pasta, where he played a brilliant-but-abrasive chef.

Lee Sun-kyun showed his support for the revival of Drama Special by starring in Our Slightly Risque Relationship.

Lee Sun-kyun continually defended the importance of the short drama format as a training ground for young talent, acknowledging its contribution to his own career.

Lee Sun-kyun returned to the theater opposite wife Jeon Hye-jin in Mike Bartlett's stage play Love, Love, Love in 2013.

In 2015, Lee Sun-kyun starred in the courtroom drama film The Advocate: A Missing Body.

In 2018, Lee Sun-kyun starred in the critically acclaimed television series My Mister.

In 2019, Lee Sun-kyun starred in the legal television series Prosecutor Civil War.

In 2019, Lee Sun-kyun had a starring role in the critically acclaimed film Parasite as Park Dong-ik, the Park family father.

The cast of Parasite, including Lee Sun-kyun, received an SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

In 2021, Lee Sun-kyun played a neuroscientist trying to solve the mysterious death of his family by hacking into the brains of the deceased.

Lee Sun-kyun 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 Sul Kyung-gu.

In that same year, Lee Sun-kyun starred alongside Jung Yu-mi in the critically acclaimed horror film Sleep.

Lee Sun-kyun married his wife, actress Jeon Hye-jin, on May 23,2009.

On October 19,2023, it was revealed that Lee Sun-kyun was booked for internal investigation over suspected drug use.

Lee Sun-kyun was given a travel ban to prevent him from leaving the country during the course of investigations.

Lee Sun-kyun first requested the police to conduct an additional lie detector test through his lawyer.

Korean opposition party questioned the coverage of Lee Sun-kyun's suspected drug use, stating that it took away public's attention from unfavorable developments involving the government and ruling People Power Party which member and Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon commented that "the drug use issue was unrelated to politics".

The police earlier received a report from his wife that Lee Sun-kyun had left home after "writing a memo akin to a suicide note".

Lee Sun-kyun's funeral was held at the funeral hall of Seoul National University Hospital, and he was buried on the 29th in Yeonhwajang, Suwon.

Lee Sun-kyun'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.