Prominent figures from the entertainment industry, including "Parasite" director Bong Joon Ho, singer Yoon Jong Shin, Producers Guild of Korea head Choi Jeong Hwa, actor Choi Deok Moon, and Director Lee Won Tae, are set to hold a press conference on January 12, 2024. This gathering aims to demand a comprehensive police investigation into the drug use scandal involving the late Lee Sun Gyun.

Lee Sun Gyun, famed for his role in the award-winning film "Parasite," was found deceased in a car near Waryong Park in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on December 27, 2023. This occurred shortly after his third 19-hour police interrogation session regarding alleged illegal drug use. Throughout the investigation, Lee Sun Gyun insisted on his innocence and had requested a lie detector test.

Since October, the actor had been under police scrutiny over accusations of using illegal drugs at the home of a hostess from a high-end bar in Gangnam, Seoul.

In response to this tragedy, a newly formed coalition of 29 cultural and artistic groups, including the Korea Entertainment Producer's Association and the Busan Film Festival, has spoken out. Under the banner of the Association of Solidarity of Cultural Artists (a direct translation), they released a statement on Tuesday. They expressed a unified resolve to prevent such incidents in the future and announced a press conference in Seoul on January 12.

The statement from the organization emphasized their collective grief over Lee Sun Gyun's death and their commitment to uncovering the truth. They plan to urge investigative authorities to delve deeper, call on media outlets to retract articles that fail to uphold journalistic standards, and push for legal reforms to safeguard artists' human rights.

Additionally, the organization will advocate for the removal of news articles that breach ethical reporting standards and demand amendments to existing laws for better protection of artists' rights.

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