Lee Sung Kyun appears on the red carpet of “Project Silence” in Cannes on May 21, 2023.
Gisela Shober/Getty Images
In the 2018 Korean drama My Mister, Lee Sung Kyun appears to have it all: a stable career, respect from his co-workers, and a loving family, but in reality, he has to provide for his loved ones. He played a man who is suffering from the pressure of not being able to do anything. He deals with employees and employees for blackmail schemes and workplace infidelity. Suffering from a melancholic temperament, he at one point stumbled onto the railroad tracks and considered staying there. It was a fleeting but poignant moment in the critically acclaimed series, which won Best Drama at the Baeksang Arts Awards and became a highlight of Lee’s remarkable career.
It was almost inconceivable that Lee, one of South Korea’s most popular actors who gained mainstream worldwide recognition with his role in Parasite, would be embroiled in any kind of scandal in real life. He was married (to actress Jeong Hye-jin) almost long before he became famous, had two sons, and had a healthy reputation, which is exactly what Korean society expects from a celebrity. It was a match. However, in October, news broke that he was being investigated for recreational drug use, which is illegal in South Korea. In the past two months, he has given police interviews three times, including leaked conversations with his bodyguards and a counterclaim from Lee that he was tricked into taking illegal drugs and blackmailed. A thorough autopsy revealed every detail of the incident. In the news and on social media. Three days after being released from his third interrogation (which lasted 19 hours until Christmas Eve), Lee was found dead in his car in an apparent suicide.
His death has put a spotlight on South Korea’s current political and social situation, with potential implications for the country’s status as a global soft superpower. Conservative President Yoon Seok-yeol, elected in May 2022 and compared to Donald Trump by his opponents, declared a “war on drugs” in April, but their use is already highly stigmatized in Korean culture. ing. In 2023, police arrested a record 17,152 people for drug-related crimes, an increase of 38.5% from the previous year. Naturally, it was the celebrities who were accused that attracted the most attention. In many cases, it was with the encouragement, or at least backing, of law enforcement officials. . Mr Lee was being sought as part of an investigation into eight people, and his name made headlines.
Every time he was called to the police station, he stood in line for a photo. This is a South Korean practice in which suspects and persons of interest face cameras and questions from reporters before and after entering a police station. “This practice, which has no legal basis, has recently caused a stir in the public eye as prosecutors allegedly used it to embarrass and embarrass suspects,” said a Korea Times consultant. Park Moo-jung wrote in a 2019 editorial. The process, he claimed, violated human rights. “Having a suspect, especially a big name in society, stand in a photo line is no different than divulging unconfirmed facts about an alleged crime that may feed people’s preconceived notions.” After Lee’s death, police said: Officials said Lee had requested that the third interrogation not be made public to the press, but that request was denied.
In South Korea, drug use carries the possibility of heavy criminal penalties (6 months to 14 years in prison), as well as professional and social consequences. In the world of entertainment, simply accusing K-pop idols of unfair behavior can result in them being kicked out of the group and never allowed to exist again. As soon as news of Lee’s scandal broke in October, he quit the drama series, which had just begun filming.
That Lee would likely take such drastic action over alleged marijuana and ketamine use (as well as marital infidelity) suggests that the former entity (still disproportionately affected by black and brown Americans) This may be difficult for people in countries where they exist (despite the fact that they have been prosecuted) to understand. Although legal in many states, it is looked down upon as part of “stoner culture,” and celebrity infidelity is generally treated as a garden scandal. However, South Korea has the highest per capita suicide rate among developed countries (24.6 per 100,000 people), and its public figures are not immune. Former President Roh Moo-hyun committed suicide in 2009, fearing that his bribery charges would tarnish his legacy. Many K-pop artists have taken their own lives after battling depression, harassment, and living under the oppressive spotlight both publicly and privately.
What is unique about Lee Sun-kyun’s shocking tragedy is that it may provoke a particular kind of reckoning with the myriad political and social factors that led to his death. Given his stature in the Korean entertainment industry, and the growing stature of the Korean entertainment industry on the international stage, his fate is an object of envy, and a spine-tingling blow to Korea’s recognition as a cultural and artistic mecca in which to do business. may have a freezing effect.
In April, President Yun made a state visit to the United States and met with Netflix executives, including co-CEO Ted Sarandos. Netflix has announced plans to invest $2.5 billion into producing Korean content over the next four years. Disney, Apple, and Amazon are also investing heavily in Korean content, with Lee himself set to star in Apple TV+’s first Korean-language original series in 2021. In Hollywood, it takes a lot of effort to bench an actor — think Robert Downey Jr. before Iron Man. .-Level Addiction or Jonathan Majors Assault Conviction. (On the other hand, if you’re Ezra Miller, your franchise job is still safe.) But actor Yoo Ah-in, best known in international cinema for his role opposite Steven Yeun in 2018’s Burning, When he tested positive for multiple drugs earlier this year, Netflix recast him in Season 2 of the supernatural drama Hellbound, in which he was scheduled to star. It also had to pull the 2023 releases of two Korean projects, The Match and Goodbye Earth, which are still unavailable on the platform. The idea that an actor’s violation of morals clauses could derail a project, and that accusations of such behavior could have fatal consequences, led Hollywood studios to discourage further business with South Korea. There is a possibility of temporary suspension.
However, there are scattered signs that Lee’s case may lead to some reforms, given the intense scrutiny both overseas and domestically. In the days following his death, international news organizations such as the New York Times, BBC, and CNN published commentary on South Korea’s strict drug policies and the way law enforcement, the media, and the general public treated celebrities. Domestically, South Korean police found themselves having to defend their treatment of Lee, especially the lack of privacy afforded him. And rather than being considered an outcast, as perhaps Lee thought he would be, a private memorial service for the actor was attended by fans such as Parasite director Bong Joon-ho and Squid Game. A-list colleagues, including star Lee Jung Jae, were in attendance. Tributes were paid to him outside the funeral home and online.
During Lee’s last two harrowing months, there was one more person you could probably relate to. In October, K-pop megastar G-Dragon was arrested by police two days after Lee and was subject to multiple drug tests, interrogations, and trips to the photo line. But police closed his case earlier this month due to insufficient evidence. In response, the iconoclastic artist announced that he would spend 300 million won ($230,000) to start a foundation to fight drug abuse and treat addiction. This is G-DRAGON’s act of defiance, as well as the late Matthew Perry’s efforts to destigmatize drug addiction by reframing it as a disease and focusing on helping those who suffer. It is also a socially important action that is reminiscent of this initiative.
If successful, such efforts could harmonize South Korea’s social customs and cultural ambitions, create a more stable terrain for international commercial prospects, and provide talented people like Lee Sung-gyun. This will help create an environment where you can have hope even if you find yourself in a difficult situation. For better results.
If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.
