A coalition of 29 organizations, including the Film Distribution Association
Demands such as efforts to self-report media are expected.
Director Bong Joon-ho and other cultural and artistic figures, mainly from the film industry, will issue a statement at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 12th under the title ‘Demands of cultural and artistic people facing the death of the late actor Lee Sun-kyun’ and demand the truth.
Major domestic film festivals such as the Busan International Film Festival, Jeonju International Film Festival, and Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, as well as video production professional organizations such as the Association of Film Importers and Distributors, the Korean Film Industry Workers’ Union, the Korean Drama Producers Association, the Korea Broadcasting Video Production Association, and the Korea Film Directors Association. A total of 29 organizations, including the Korean Film Marketers Association, were named. On the 9th, the ‘Culture and Artists’ Solidarity Association’ (tentative name) that they formed gave the reason for issuing a statement saying, “Facing the unfortunate death of actor Lee Sun-gyun, who passed away on the 27th of last month, we agreed that something like this should never be repeated.” revealed.
The statement includes calls for a thorough investigation of the truth by investigative authorities, a request for the media to make efforts to self-reflect, a request for the deletion of articles that do not meet the purpose of reporting, and a request for re-amendment of current laws to protect the human rights of cultural artists.
Director Bong, singer and composer Yoon Jong-shin, director Lee Won-tae, actor Choi Deok-moon, Korean Independent Film Association Chairman Koh Young-jae, and Korean Film Producers Association CEO Choi Jeong-hwa will attend and speak at the statement announcement. An official from the solidarity meeting said, “It was not led by any one organization or a specific person, but groups that shared the same view on Lee Sun-kyun’s death discussed and prepared it.” . He added, “We plan to first announce a statement and then further discuss with the organizations about specific schedules and movements.”
Lee Sun-kyun has been under police investigation since October last year on suspicion of drug use. Although he was negative in all thorough tests conducted by the National Institute of Forensic Science, he was investigated by the police three times until the 23rd of last month, and was found dead in a car in a parking lot in Seongbuk-gu on the 27th of the same month. After the incident, the police’s excessive investigation and the media’s indiscriminate reporting were on the chopping block.
Reporter Kim Ki-joong
