Organizers of the upcoming 29th Busan International Film Festival(BIFF) have selected the late South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun as the recipient of this year's lifetime achievement award, recognizing his contribution to the worldwide growth of Korean cinema.

The organizing committee announced the decision on Friday, along with a planned special program during the festival featuring six of the late actor's performances, including the Oscar-winning 2019 black comedy "Parasite."

Other works include the 2014 action thriller "A Hard Day" and historical drama "The Land of Happiness," posthumously released last week and currently playing in theaters.

Lee was found dead in apparent suicide at the prime of his career last December amid a police investigation into his alleged drug use, allegations of which he was posthumously cleared.

The lifetime achievement prize will be awarded at the opening of the ten-day annual film festival which will kick off on October 2.