Months before Lee Sun-kyun’s investigation and death, South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol announced in April that the nation’s government was to begin a major crackdown on all crimes relating to drugs. As shared by The Korea Times, Yoon stated during a Cabinet meeting, “The government will join all forces to win the war on drugs” and announced the establishment of an interdisciplinary team of 840 individuals to oversee the effort. The president also explained that harsh investigations and opportunities for rehabilitation were at the core of the initiative. Sure enough, Yoon’s war on drugs began to yield results in short order.
In 2023 alone, 17,152 individuals — 1,025 of them being teenagers — were booked for drug-related crimes, according to Yonhap News Agency. The publication highlighted that this is the highest number South Korea has seen in the past five years, and it marks a 38.5% increase compared to 2022’s numbers. Between March and November, roughly 2,379 people were formally arrested for drug-related crimes. All of this is to say that Lee wasn’t singled out for alleged drug use due to his being a well-known actor. South Korea’s legal system doesn’t take such crimes lightly, no matter who is charged.
Regardless of the circumstances surrounding the end of his life, and the events of his final week alive, there’s no denying that Lee Sun-kyun was a talented actor with a wealth of solid performances to his credit.
