Lee Sun-kyun, star of Oscar-winning film Parasite, dies aged 48

Lee Sun-kyun, a popular South Korean actor best known for his role in the Oscar-winning movie Parasite, has been found dead aged 48.

The actor was found unconscious in a car in one of Seoul's main parks on Wednesday.

It is unclear if Lee took his own life, but police confirmed they received a report that he had left home after writing a note.

He had been under investigation for alleged drug use since October, which had prompted extensive tabloid coverage.

Lee had undergone police probes into allegations that he used illegal drugs at the residence of a bar hostess.

In response, Lee had filed a suit against two people including the hostess, alleging they blackmailed him.

The actor insisted he was tricked into taking the drugs and that he did not know what he was taking, according to South Korean news outlet Yonhap.

His drug tests had returned negative or inconclusive results, Yonhap reported.

Lee was best known for his appearance in Parasite, which won Oscars for best picture and three other categories in 2020.

But his popularity in South Korea began long before, with his rise to stardom noted by his role in a hit TV drama series, Coffee Prince (2007), before he gained gained mainstream popularity with the medical drama Behind The White Tower (2007), Pasta (2010) and My Mister (2018).

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