Incheon Police And Media Outlets Under Investigation Over Lee Sun Kyun’s Case

After actor Lee Sun Kyun‘s demise in December 2023, allegations arose that the Incheon Metropolitan Police colluded with the media to leak their investigation reports regarding a drug abuse case involving the late actor. On January 23, authorities investigating these allegations initiated a mandatory inquiry into all the accused parties.

According to authorities, the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency’s Anti-Corruption and Economic Crime Investigation United conducted a search and seizure of the Drug Crime Investigation Unit of the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency, which was in charge of investigating Lee’s case. The detailed operation carried on from 10 am to 5 pm on January 22.

The police also carried out search and seizure operations of different media outlets that covered Lee’s case with detailed information from his investigation.

During the operation, the police took mobile phones and other electronic devices of the Incheon Police’s Drug Crime Investigation Unit employees into custody for a detailed analysis of their contents to ensure whether investigative information was leaked to specific media outlets.

Meanwhile, this probe was initiated by the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency itself. Earlier, on January 15, the agency requested the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency to investigate their allegations of leaking investigative information, citing that it would be challenging to ensure a fair investigation if it were conducted internally.

Lee Sun Kyun, who was booked on October 23 last year during a drug-related investigation, underwent three rounds of police inquiry for about two months, denying the allegations. The case was highly publicized throughout those two months, with confidential police reports being leaked in the media. The actor died on December 27 last year, sparking criticism over how the case was handled. Earlier this month, multiple entertainment industry veterans came forward calling for authorities to re-examine the investigation.