Parasite director Bong Joon Ho and several other prominent Korean film figures recently held a press conference in which they called for an investigation into the police handling of the recent death of actor Lee Sun-kyun.
During an event held in Seoul, the director was joined by a variety of other figures as he read from a statement prepared by 29 other arts and culture groups, including the Busan International Film Festival and the Korea Entertainment Producer’s Association.
“Throughout the two months, from the initial leak of internal information regarding the deceased’s investigation to the time of his death, we urge a thorough investigation by the authorities to ascertain whether there were any lapses in police investigative security,” Bong said (via The Hollywood Reporter). “We request a thorough investigation to determine if there were any unlawful media responses during the investigation.”
Lee Sun-kyun was subject of police investigation and subsequent media stories
Prior to his death last year, Lee had been under police investigation for months over suspected drug use, despite his urine tests being negative according to testing by the National Forensic Service. In late December, Lee was found dead in his car, just a day after he had been questioned by police for 19 hours.
Following his death, both supporters and family members of Lee would publicly question the way police handled the case. Specifically, questions were raised on the way that personal details about Lee were made available to the media, with Lee’s agency Hodu & U Entertainment saying that they were looking to take legal action against media outlets who spread information about the drug investigation.
One specific media group, KBS — a large broadcasting company in South Korea — leaked a phone conversation between Lee and a female escort at a bar he frequented. The company was one that the group of film figures directly named in their statement, asking them to remove any content that didn’t factor into Lee’s police investigation.
“Can KBS guarantee on their name as a public broadcasting, that their coverage of the private conversations of the deceased unrelated to the allegations, was solely for the sake of the public’s right to know,” the group asked. “We urge all media outlets, including KBS, to promptly remove any content that does not align with the purpose of responsible reporting.”
