This is really sad.
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I just read about Lee Sunkyun’s death, and was totally shocked! 
I really liked him in Pasta, Coffee Prince, and My Mister.
Golden Time and Miss Korea were some of my earliest projects on Viki, and I have fond memories bonding and forming friendship with other subbers and contributor in the team.
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So, so sorry to hear this has happened to someone who has put in so much into his craft of acting. A craft that has seen others through their rough times. @et_865, thank you for sharing this information with the community. May those close, and near to him rally through, may they be comforted from their lost. May everyone who watched his work, and are affected, also be comforted.
!Lee Sun Gyun - Movies & TV Shows
This hits hard.
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I feel for his family and I hope that the SNS harassment will stop.
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Jut saw the shocking news about Lee Sun Kyun’s death. It is always especially tragic and sad when a person takes their own life. I just feel terrible for his family. He was such a talented actor; what a sad loss.
The awful scourge of drugs strikes again. I continue to hope that South Korea will get rid of the stigma toward mental illness and treat mental health issues as a regular type of illness so that people struggling will be able to seek and receive treatment freely and without fear, and not end up using illegal drugs. I’ll always remember his performances in Coffee Prince, My Mister, and the film Parasite. My condolences to his family, his friends, and his fans.
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I was very shocked when I read the news. I so wanted it to be fake. I discovered him in Coffee Prince and have been a fan ever since. He was a great actor with a beautiful voice. 
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I was crushed when I read about this on my FB newsfeed. I first discovered him when I watched My Mister where I fell in love with his acting and his voice. This is truly a huge loss for his family and the S Korean acting community. I feel so sorry for all of them. This news just makes me so sad…
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I’m utterly shocked at reading this news, just why ending life… because of the Cancel culture… and some of their laws… but corruption continues to thrive among rich and politicians and that sort of powerful people. - Another sad day for Korea… they should be loosening such laws… and create a more supportive place for people in need…
What a sad day, another loss of life… RIP Lee Sun Gyun, you left too early. You did well with your roles and entertained many 
PS I just have a bad feeling how the S.Korean Police handled this… I wonder if they felt like having caught a big shark, riding a wave of fame or what… even Police there is corrupt.
I found this article which shows a bit more insight what likely brought him to his demise.
“Between December 23 and 24, police interviewed Lee for 19 hours, though drug tests returned negative or inconclusive results, according to local media.”
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I found this interesting article yesterday. It’s from Dispatch Korea.
Just breaks my heart to read about what may have caused a very preventable situation (Lee’s death).
Dispatch Exposes How Lee Sun Kyun Fell Victim To A Bungled Police Investigation - Koreaboo
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The Korean Police should be suit for wrong handling… it should be impossible that they can get away with wrong ways!! This is not the first time they do wrong… !
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Yes, the behaviour of the media and of the public too, in those cases, is inexcusable. The media jump to conclusions when an investigation isn’t finished and the evidence isn’t yet conclusive. And the audience or readers jump at the “juicy headlines” the media offers and lap them up gleefully, posting hateful comments, and then if the person then dies, they mourn and are outraged at the media and police. When they were part of the problem too!
On the other hand, how mentally unstable must he have been (and not only he, I’m thinking of numerous others who took the same path), to actually react to the pressure by taking his own life?
I mean, come on! People survive terrible abuse, wars, losing everything, see their loved ones being killed etc. and still they don’t lose all hope but desperately cling to dear life, and eventually find the will to start anew. There must definitely have been other, better options. Go under the radar for a while, take a trip to some mountain place without internet and meditate under the stars, I don’t know. Whatever, but not this!
That’s why I conclude there must have been some mental health issue underneath it all.
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I completely agree. I always think back to the day one of my co-workers (at a factory) punched out, went home, and committed suicide in his backyard with a gun. The psychologist that our company hired to council us said we would never understand why the young man did that but some day we would come to accept it. It took me a long time to work through all my sadness and regret because of what happened that day, but I finally understood that all people are not (mentally) equal. Some can carry extremely heavy loads while others cannot. I never understood why my co-worker decided to end his life that day because I was not him (didn’t know what thoughts he had in his head). We are more fortunate here in the USA because there are many resources available for those who are struggling with mental health problems. Unfortunately, from a few of the articles I’ve read, mental problems are just not talked about in S Korea because it is considered an embarrassment to admit your struggle. I find that so sad and pray that soon things change over there so suicide is no longer what those who struggle consider to be the only option.
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This grilling and pushing into some sort of confession might have played a big role. As mentioned earlier, police didn’t handle it correctly… it’s the culture’s mentality and the cancellation… he too lost a project… it’s an accumulation of everything and in Asia or some countries this is the way out of this pressure… some can handle it and some not.
It is also as irmar said the hype of media that influences public and public invests itself with lots of hate as if they didn’t have nothing else in their life, that is a big cultural problem… also in China.
I remember, was it in the 90’s reading about frequent suicides in Japan among students who couldn’t handle the competitive pressure, even younger kids.
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Not necessarily. Sometimes all it takes is a moment.
Suicide is perceived in a totally different way in Asia. It’s a shame that in a modern society, some people still think that death is preferable to life because they’ve been dishonored.
I don’t understand it, and I’m glad I don’t.
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the starscy & hutch guy, the blonde guy 80!
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Gosh time flies, everyone is aging. our time spent and memories are dissipating since we lived with those and enjoyed many things through them…
RIP whoever is passing away… every loss is very sad and I’m thinking of my lost mom…
Folks, treasure every minute with your loved ones 
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I agree with you in Asian culture ‘‘death is preferable to life because they’ve been dishonored’’ (quote/unquote); in this actor case two main things drove him to that decision.
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The LOVE for his family, and the shame HE brought to ALL family members because of his human action (making a mistake) that the Asian culture is so cruel, judgmental, and unforgiving . The cruel judging Asian society felt he was given time to stop what he was doing; but he let fame and money get to his head? Whatever. IN MY personal opinion, his addiction wasn’t that bad since he performed so well in ALL his recent acting that even got awards. I did read some articles that state during filming he was rude and aggressive at times (I DON’T SAY HE WAS HE: IT WAS WHAT I READ). I wasn’t there to see or say he was rude and aggressive during filming nor I read his acting cast complain about his rude behavior.
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This time he felt they must have a lot of evidence that he couldn’t avoid or fight against, and he had already paid so much, and paying more money would be out of the question because it would leave his faithful wife and kids practically homeless, and worse yet, living in shame because Korean people can be cruel and relentless when it comes to judging and condemning people simply for being human and making a mistake.
IN U.S.A. this would have taken a very intense investigation before adding charges, and of course; the blackmailer would have faced prison more than him. I also wonder who is the father of the child the blackmailer has (If the child the blackmailer says is his child and he knew it, the mess was beyond help in his mind). She went public with baby in hand as to protecting herself and looking vulnerable. She’s the typical Blackmail person who manipulates situations and try to look innocent.
Since he did had an addiction, he would be forced to go to a rehab program that would prove he was willing to stop using whatever he was using. BUT we all know that SK and Japan has ZERO tolerance to Drug usage, buying etc…and they (AS FAR AS I KNOW) have no rehab centers, counseling or clinics so these resources can help those in need. If they do have psychiatric services because of the culture values they would make him feel more guilty instead of helping resolve and fix his mistake (using/buying drugs).
IN this actor’s case he even said it in his suicide note; I don’t see any other way out (he had already paid a HUGE amount of money before) and he had no more money to be paying to avoid the accusations without leaving his family practically completely bankrupt). Actors don’t get paid as much as they should in that country (when I saw what they get paid I was shocked beyond words).
IN Other words; he had no money resources, no hope, and no way out of getting out of the situation he was in just because we are ALL humans, and we can make mistakes, not once, but even twice.
He was condemned and judged, and that was what drove him to his suicide; NOT because he did something so wrong, so horrible, that he didn’t deserve forgiveness, understanding, help, but just because the Asian culture is not willing to modernize their thinking, reform and change their narrow thinking since that’s all they know and learned in that culture.
They NEED to realize that they are the ones who drive these poor souls to their death. I don’t know how they can live with themselves.
HIS DEATH WAS SO UNFAIR! Since after all, we are all HUMANS, we make mistakes, and sadly in his case fame and money may have played a part on it, but HE and we ALL deserve a chance in life; so we don’t think or feel there’s no WAY OUT, but the eternal sleep.
MAY HE REST IN PEACE, AND HIS DEATH SERVES A PURPOSE TO FINALLY SHUT THOSE CRUEL, JUDGEMENTAL PEOPLE WITH NO FORGIVENESS IN THEIR HEART BECAUSE IT WAS THEM; WHO DROVE HIM TO HIS SUICIDE DECISION.
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RIP Melanie, I do remember her from my childhood, may family members find comfort in their beautiful memories. 
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