Director Bong Joon Ho expresses regret over Lee Sun Gyun’s passing.

Director Bong Joon Ho has spoken about the late actor Lee Sun Gyun, expressing feelings of regret and self-reproach.

On the February 18 KST episode of MBC’s ‘Sohn’s Questions’, Bong appeared as a guest ahead of the release of his upcoming film ‘Mickey 17’. During the conversation, host Sohn Suk Hee brought up Lee Sun Gyun, with whom Bong had worked on the Academy Award-winning film ‘Parasite’.

Sohn remarked that many people still feel deep sorrow over Lee’s tragic passing and asked for Bong’s thoughts on the matter.

Bong reflected:

“He was a colleague I had worked with, and many memories come to mind. No matter what anyone says, he was a good person and a great actor.”

He also addressed the statement he had issued following Lee’s passing, in which he had questioned the handling of the police investigation:

“As a colleague, releasing that statement was the least I could do. But I kept thinking—why didn’t I do it earlier, before the tragedy happened? That thought filled me with guilt and shame. I felt a strong sense of self-reproach.”

In October 2023, Lee became the subject of a police investigation on drug-related allegations. He underwent three rounds of questioning, during which he maintained his innocence. However, on December 27, 2023, he was found deceased.

His passing sparked an outpouring of grief, with colleagues and the entertainment industry mourning his loss. At the time, Bong Joon Ho publicly questioned the investigative process, raising concerns about the confidentiality of the police probe and calling for a thorough fact-finding effort.

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