KUALA LUMPUR – The death of “Parasite” actor Lee Sun-Kyun has sparked a movement by 2,000 entertainment industry professionals in Korea to enact a “Lee Sun-kyun Act” to protect the rights of artists undergoing criminal investigations.
Korea JoongAng Daily reported on a press conference in Seoul today, where director Bong Joon-ho and other entertainment industry titans blamed the police for leaking internal information as well as the press for “unlawful media responses” to investigations into the actor at the time of his death.
Some of the big names at the press conference were directors Lee Won-tae, Jang Hang-jun, actors Kim Eui-sung, Choi Duk-moon, and singer Yoon Jong-shin.
They read from a statement that was issued by the Cultural and Artistic Professionals Conference (CAPC), a new association comprising 29 existing organisations and guilds within the entertainment industry in Korea.
“The CAPC and more than 2,000 entertainment industry professionals will work together to ultimately enact a ‘Lee Sun-kyun law’ to prevent the repetition of this tragedy,” the statement said.
CAPC said the group will exert their best efforts until satisfactory results are achieved to protect artists’ rights.
The statement urged for a thorough investigation into the propriety and legality of Lee’s drug probe by police, the sensationalist articles by the news media on Lee, and the implementation of clearer legal standards for similar cases.
“We urge a thorough investigation by the authorities to ascertain whether there were any lapses in police investigative security throughout the two months from the initial leak of internal information regarding the deceased’s investigation to the time of his death,” Bong said, reading from the statement.
The industry leaders also urged for an investigation into the public relations office in charge of Lee’s case to ascertain if the person in charge had made any unlawful media responses or leaks to reporters.
They also pointed to reports by public broadcaster KBS, which had published phone records of the late actor.
“Can it truly be asserted that the coverage of the deceased’s case only at the stage of its preliminary investigations was conducted with a genuine public interest in safeguarding the public’s right to know?” asked Yoon, also reading from the statement.
The statement also addressed the issue of “abuses of yellow journalism” and YouTubers who violated the late actor’s family’s privacy during the funeral.
“Even if the investigative procedures of the authorities were deemed legal, the government and the national assembly must not remain silent on this tragic incident.
“It is crucial to examine if there are any problems with the current laws protecting human rights in criminal cases and information disclosure and initiate necessary legislative revisions,” the statement read.
Lee, who rose to global fame after winning the Academy Awards in 2020 for his role in Parasite, was found dead in an apparent suicide in a car at a park in central Seoul at 10.30am, on December 27, 2023.
Before the incident, Lee had been under police investigation since October last year on suspicion of drug use, including marijuana and psychotropic drugs. – January 12, 2024