[The Editors' Verdict] Another Investigation into Lee Sun-kyun

The Private Life of a Famous Actor Used to Tarnish Morality
Controversy Over "Character Assassination":
Will a Police Reinvestigation Reveal the Truth?
A Difficult Starting Point for Social Purification

There are those who fall into sadness when they think of actor Lee Sun-kyun’s name. Anger and remorse. It’s not only his family or fellow actors. People who have never seen his face or spoken to him share an emotional connection.

There are various layers to the sadness in the world. What is the nature of that sadness that pierces through people who seem to have no common ground? Is it simply human compassion, or is it because they recall the lines of Lee Sun-kyun (playing Park Dong-hoon) from the drama My Mister?

"In the midst of wanting to die, don’t die. You are a good person. Keep fighting. Just knowing there’s someone cheering you on like that lets me breathe."

Lee Sun-kyun’s words didn’t just empower his co-star in the drama. They also brought comfort to those standing on the edge between life and death. They became the strength to endure precarious times. The drama became a lifesaver in the real world. That is why My Mister emerged as a life drama for many.

That image of the “ajusshi” (middle-aged man), Lee Sun-kyun, is no longer in this world. He passed away on December 27, 2023. It was two months after being investigated by the police on drug use charges. The drug allegations came as a shock to those who hoped Lee Sun-kyun was truly a good person.

Director Bong Joon-ho is urging for a thorough investigation during the statement announcement titled 'Demands of Cultural Artists Facing the Death of the Late Actor Lee Seon-gyun' held at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 12th. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

Many hoped the police investigation would clear up the suspicions. But reality was harsh. Lee Sun-kyun, who sought help from the police after being threatened by someone, was thrown to the public as prey. Details of the investigation, with unclear facts, were revealed to the public.

The sensational news about a famous actor amplified the public’s voyeurism. Drug tests repeatedly came back negative. People thought the suspicions would be resolved, but that was not the end of the case. Lee Sun-kyun’s private life was widely circulated. Conversations he had with a woman from an entertainment venue were exposed to the public. This was used to tarnish his morality, far from the essence of the matter.

On the 12th, film and broadcasting organizations issued a joint statement urging “a thorough investigation into the character assassination of Lee Sun-kyun.” “We believed that expressing our position on the harsh character assassination was the minimum duty toward our colleague.” Film director Bong Joon-ho and singer Yoon Jong-shin, among others, moved beyond grief to take action.

As a wave of memorials for Lee Sun-kyun formed, the public’s target for punishment shifted. The woman in her 20s who threatened Lee Sun-kyun became the new prey. The Narcotics Investigation Division of the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency, which handled Lee Sun-kyun’s case, became the subject of a search by other police officers. Punishment began regarding who leaked investigation information and who recklessly used it.

Another investigation surrounding Lee Sun-kyun. Is that how justice is restored? It is still a long way to go to put weight on optimism. When another actor is thrown to the public as prey again, can our society resist the temptation of voyeurism? A society that freely judges, dissects, and devours another’s life and private matters for pleasure is a monster in itself.

Lee Sun-kyun’s tragedy is not just the problem of a woman in her 20s or some police officers in Incheon. It is a product that shows how sick our society is right now. In that sense, another investigation into Lee Sun-kyun is not the end of the case but the starting point of a long process toward social purification.