"Lee Sun-kyun's Character Assassinated" Bong Joon-ho, Kim Eui-sung, and Others Demand Truth Investigation (Comprehensive)

"The late Lee Seon-gyun has been subjected to character assassination for over the past two months." Director Bong Joon-ho, singer Yoon Jong-shin, actor Kim Eui-sung, and other cultural artists expressed their sorrow over the passing of actor Lee Seon-gyun on the 27th of last month and urged a thorough investigation into the investigation process. They also demanded the deletion of articles that do not meet the purpose of media reporting.

Director Bong Joon-ho is urging for a thorough investigation during the statement announcement titled 'Demands of Cultural Artists Facing the Death of the Late Actor Lee Seon-gyun' held at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 12th. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

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The Cultural Artists Solidarity held a press conference on the morning of the 12th at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, announcing a statement titled "The Demands of Cultural Artists Facing the Death of the Late Actor Lee Seon-gyun." They called for awakening from the police and media and announced the forthcoming enactment of the so-called "Lee Seon-gyun Prevention Act." Jang Won-seok, CEO of BA Entertainment, who hosted the event, said, "We hope that such a tragedy will never be repeated in the investigation process involving popular cultural artists."

The statement was delivered sequentially by Kim Eui-sung, Director Bong, Yoon Jong-shin, and Director Lee Won-tae. Kim Eui-sung began, "Since the initial report on October 19 last year quoting an official from the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency, Lee Seon-gyun was exposed to the media and press for over two months without any protective measures." He explained, "The entire process from the rapid reagent test and reagent collection for the National Forensic Service's precise examination to the negative result, as well as the appearances at three police summons, were all broadcast live through the media. Audio recordings, whose relevance to the case and evidentiary value were difficult to assess, were also released to the public through the media." He continued, "During the third summons, after 19 hours of investigation, Lee Seon-gyun made a tragic choice to end his life, leaving a request to verify the truthfulness of his statements with a lie detector test," calling this series of events "character assassination."

Actor Kim Eui-sung is wearing a stern expression as he urges for a thorough investigation during the statement announcement titled 'Demands of Cultural and Artistic Figures Facing the Death of the Late Actor Lee Seon-gyun' held on the 12th at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

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Director Bong demanded an explanation from the investigative authorities. "From the time information about the deceased's investigation was first leaked until the extreme choice was made over two months later, I urge a thorough investigation into whether there was not a single breach in the police's investigation security," he stated. He added, "After the deceased was judged negative for drugs in the National Forensic Service's precise examination, KBS reported numerous investigation details. The circumstances and purpose of how this information was provided to KBS must be thoroughly clarified." He also demanded, "Please clearly explain whether it was lawful to disclose police summons information without taking any measures to prevent the deceased from being exposed to the media." He emphasized, "Only a fact-finding investigation can correct wrongful investigative practices and prevent second and third victims."

Yoon Jong-shin sharply criticized the sensational reporting by the media. He questioned, "Were the reports related to Lee Seon-gyun truly made for the public interest to uphold the people's right to know? Did they sensationalize his private life simply because he was a popular cultural artist? Were there unreasonable demands such as asking to be placed on the photo line? Can KBS, which reported content unrelated to the charges, be confident that it was reporting for the public's right to know?" He urged, "If the content does not meet the purpose of reporting, I hope it will be promptly deleted," and stressed, "We can no longer remain silent about the harmful effects of yellow journalism and cyber wreckers that sensationalize unverified content."

Director Bong Joon-ho is seen with a stern expression urging for a thorough investigation during the statement announcement titled 'Demands of Cultural Artists Facing the Death of the Late Actor Lee Seon-gyun' held at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 12th. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

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Director Lee raised his voice, saying, "We must review whether there were any problems with the current laws prohibiting the disclosure of criminal cases and protecting human rights during investigations, and begin the necessary legislative work to enact or amend laws." He stressed, "Legislative improvements must be made so that principles and exceptions are not reversed between the suspect's human rights and the public's right to know, and so that investigative authorities do not arbitrarily interpret or apply the law's intent." He pledged, "We will do our best to realize our intentions until our society develops and cultural artists are safely protected."

The statement was created with the participation of about 2,000 film industry workers, including Kim Dong-ho, former executive chairman of the Busan International Film Festival, and actor Song Kang-ho. Twenty-nine organizations also participated, including the Busan International Film Festival, Women Filmmakers Association, Film Importers and Distributors Association, National Film Industry Labor Union, Korean Independent Film Association, Korean Drama Producers Association, Korean Management Federation, Korean Broadcasting Video Producers Association, Korean Broadcasting Writers Association, Korean Entertainment Producers Association, and Korean Film Directors Association.

Director Bong Joon-ho is urging for a thorough investigation during the statement announcement titled 'Demands of Cultural Artists Facing the Death of the Late Actor Lee Seon-gyun' held on the 12th at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

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Lee Seon-gyun was under police investigation since October last year on suspicion of drug use and was found dead in a car parked in a parking lot in Seongbuk-gu on the 27th of last month. He consistently expressed his innocence throughout the investigation process, including requesting a lie detector test the day before his death.

The Cultural Artists Solidarity plans to establish a solidarity meeting for the entire cultural and artistic community to respond together in light of this incident. They also plan to deliver this statement to the Speaker of the National Assembly and actively promote the enactment of the Lee Seon-gyun Prevention Act with related organizations.

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