South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, 48, was discovered lifeless on Wednesday morning at Waryong Park in northern Jongno-gu, Seoul.

The police confirmed the actor’s identity, putting an end to earlier speculations about the mysterious death.

Emergency services received a distress call at 10:12 a.m. from a concerned woman who reported her husband’s departure after leaving what appeared to be a will, Korea Herald reported.

“He could be contacted until yesterday. The car is also gone,” she shared.

This ominous note triggered the subsequent discovery of Lee Sun-kyun’s lifeless body inside his car.

The actor was found unconscious at 10:30 a.m., having succumbed to inhaling smoke from a charcoal briquette, according to some reports.

Despite the efforts of emergency workers, Lee was pronounced dead on the scene, and attempts to transfer him to a hospital were futile.

The exact cause of Lee Sun-kyun’s death remains unconfirmed as officials conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding this shocking incident.

In the passenger seat was a charcoal briquette. The police earlier received a report that Lee left home after writing a memo akin to a suicide note, and that his car was gone.

Lee Sun-kyun had been under scrutiny for alleged drug use, a matter he attributed to a mistaken consumption of illegal substances, presuming them to be sleeping pills.

He claimed to have fallen victim to a ruse orchestrated by a host at a high-end bar, although the woman involved insisted that the actor was fully aware of the substances.

In a poignant twist, Lee had requested polygraph tests for both himself and the woman on Tuesday, aiming to ascertain the truth of their conflicting statements.

Lee Sun-kyun’s untimely demise is a significant loss to the world of Korean TV and cinema.

With a prolific career spanning two decades, he gained international acclaim for his role as the affluent patriarch in Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning “Parasite.”

His recent work included a standout performance in the comedy-horror hit “Sleep,” marking a memorable chapter in his illustrious career.

• What is a charcoal briquette?

A charcoal briquette is a compact block made from charcoal, coal dust, and other combustible materials. It is commonly used for cooking or heating purposes, often in outdoor settings like barbecues or grills.

It could be related to the term ‘charcoal-burning suicide.’

In the case of Lee Sun-kyun’s death, the mention of a charcoal briquette is significant because it was found in the car where he was discovered unconscious.

The presence of a charcoal briquette in this context suggests that it might have been used in a method of suicide known as charcoal burning, where individuals inhale toxic fumes produced by burning charcoal in a confined space.

However, it’s crucial to note that the exact cause of Lee Sun-kyun’s death has not been confirmed by officials, and investigations are ongoing.