Incheon, South Korea – Actor Lee Sun-kyun, known for his role in the Oscar-winning film “Parasite,” was released early Sunday morning after undergoing a 19-hour police interrogation concerning allegations of drug use.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee arrived at the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency on Saturday morning, accompanied by his lawyer, for questioning about his alleged use of marijuana and other illegal drugs. The investigation extended overnight, with the police stating they had received the actor’s consent for this extended interrogation, a measure taken to protect human rights as police investigations typically do not occur from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. The 48-year-old actor is suspected of using drugs multiple times since early this year at the home of a hostess in Seoul’s Gangnam district. This was Lee’s third questioning session; previous ones occurred on October 28 and November 4. The police indicated that this would be the last interrogation for Lee in the case. In October, following reports of his alleged drug use, Lee filed a complaint against two individuals, including the hostess, for blackmail. The hostess was arrested last month, and an arrest warrant is reportedly sought for the other accused individual. Lee has maintained that he was unwittingly tricked into taking drugs and was unaware of their nature. He has tested negative for drug use in both a brief reagent test during police investigations and a more elaborate test by the National Forensic Service last month.