SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun from the Oscar-winning film “Parasite” has died in an apparent suicide, South Korean police told NBC News on Wednesday.

Lee had been under investigation on allegations of using marijuana and other illegal drugs. He said he was innocent.

Police said Lee was found dead in a car at a park in central Seoul, and that there was a charcoal briquette in the passenger seat.

Police started looking for the actor after his manager told them Lee had left home after writing what appeared to be a suicide note.

Lee, who was born in Seoul in 1975, played the father of a wealthy family in the dark comedy “Parasite,” which won four Academy Awards in 2020, including best picture. The film also won for best cast in a motion picture at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

The following year, Lee starred in “Dr. Brain,” a sci-fi thriller that was the first Korean-language show produced for Apple TV+.

His long list of credits in South Korea includes the 2012 films “Helpless” and “All About My Wife.”

An ongoing crackdown on narcotics in South Korea, which has stringent drug laws, has led to cases against a number of celebrities and other high-profile figures.

Lee was last questioned by police Saturday.

“I am sincerely so sorry to have let you down even by being implicated in such an unethical issue,” he said in a nationwide broadcast in October when he was questioned for the first time.

“I am sorry to my family who are suffering and enduring so much,” he added. 

Social media users in South Korea mourned Lee’s death and criticized media coverage of the case, describing Lee as a “brilliant actor.”

“Even if Lee had committed wrongdoings, it still was wrong to push him so hard to the corner,” one comment on Instagram read.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.