▲ Actor Lee Sun-kyun (C) arrives at the Incheon Nonhyeon police station where the office of the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency's drug crime investigation division is located in Incheon, about 30 kilometers west of Seoul, on Oct. 28, 2023, for questioning over his suspected drug use. (Yonhap)
▲ Actor Lee Sun-kyun arrives at the Incheon Nonhyeon police station where the office of the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency's drug crime investigation division is located in Incheon, about 30 kilometers west of Seoul, on Oct. 28, 2023, for questioning over his suspected drug use. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) actor-drug probe

(LEAD) Actor Lee Sun-kyun grilled over drug use suspicions

(ATTN: UPDATES first 8 paras with Lee's appearance for questioning; CHANGES headline, photos)

INCHEON, Oct. 28 (Yonhap) -- Actor Lee Sun-kyun of the Oscar-winning movie "Parasite" appeared before police Saturday for his first questioning on suspicions of drug use.

Lee arrived at the Incheon Nonhyeon police station where the office of the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency's drug crime investigation division is located in Incheon, about 30 kilometers west of Seoul.

He will face questioning on charges of using illegal drugs in violation of the Narcotics Control Act.

Meeting journalists in front of the police station, Lee said he "sincerely apologizes for disappointing many people for his involvement in such a dishonorable affair" and will "honestly" cooperate with the investigation.

"I also feel sorry for my family members who are enduring such hard pain at this moment. ... Once again, I would like to sincerely apologize to everyone," he added.

Dressed in a suit, the 48-year-old actor bowed his head several times to express his remorse.

The police plan to conduct a drug test on him to determine whether he used illegal drugs and, if he did, how often and what kinds.

Earlier in the day, police seized his mobile phone and vehicle with a court-issued search warrant. He is currently under an overseas travel ban.

Lee is suspected of having used marijuana and other illegal drugs at the home of a hostess working at a high-end bar in Seoul's Gangnam district on multiple occasions since early this year.

The police learned about Lee's suspected drug use during an investigation prompted by a tipoff about illegal drug circulation in Gangnam nightclubs last month and have since booked eight people, including Lee, the hostess, a third-generation scion of a conglomerate family and a would-be entertainer.

G-Dragon of K-pop group BIGBANG has been separately booked for his suspected drug use.

The rapper-singer, whose real name is Kwon Ji-yong, denied the suspicions and pledged to cooperate with the police investigation in a statement released through his lawyer Friday.

(END)

[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]