17 Jan – Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho is leading a group of South Korean artists in calling for an investigation surrounding the death of actor Lee Sun-kyun. Bong, who helmed the Oscar-winning movie, "Parasite" of which Lee was one of the actors, was joined by a dozen of other showbiz-related players including actor Choi Deok-moon and singer Yoon Jong-shin in a press conference where they called for the authorities to look into whether Lee's case was handled by the police accordingly. "We urge a thorough investigation by the authorities to ascertain whether there were any lapses in the police investigative process," Bong said.
The group also demanded an inquiry into potential leaks to the press during the investigation into Lee that saw overexposure without protective measures. It was recently reported that the police denied Lee's request for his final interrogation to be closed to the media back in December, and was paraded in front of the reporters when he arrived in Incheon for questioning over allegations of drug abuse. Lee had previously claimed that he was blackmailed by two women and had given in to their demands. The actor was found dead in his car on 27 December, with the death being widely regarded as suicide.