Biography of Chol Soo Lee
In 1973, Chol Soo Lee, a Korean American, was arrested for the killing of a Chinatown gang leader, Yip Yee Tak. At that time, there were over a dozen unsolved Chinatown gang related murders. San Francisco newspapers noted the unsolved status of these murders as critical. Chol Soo Lee was apprehended due to political pressure from the mayor of San Francisco and the police department, in order to solve Tak’s murder. Three white tourists identified Lee as the murderer, even though physical descriptions of the killer did not apply to him. Critical evidence, such as the results of a ballistics test performed on the murder weapon, were withheld. No Asian American witnesses offered their testimony. Lee was sentenced to life in prison, serving the majority of his time at Deuel Vocational Institution (DVI) in Tracy, CA.Chol Soo Lee was incarcerated at DVI from 1973-1979. During his time at DVI, Lee was targeted by white supremacists. During an attempt on his life, he defended himself and killed his assailant. The prison yard killing led to another trial, with Lee charged a second time for murder. He was found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to death in 1979 – the first Asian American put on California’s death row in San Quentin Penitentiary.
Shortly after being charged for murder for the prison yard killing, Lee’s story attracted the
attention of Asian American activists, who in turn asked K.W. Lee (no relation), an investigative reporter for the Sacramento Union, to look into the circumstances surrounding Lee’s conviction. This started a six-month investigation and the publishing of the “Alice in Chinatown” article series, 120 articles that called Chol Soo Lee’s guilty verdict into question.Out of K.W. Lee’s reporting, the Chol Soo Lee Defense Committee was formed, a team of young Asian Americans dedicated to working toward Chol Soo Lee’s exoneration, and the first pan-Asian American coalition in history. Through their efforts, along with widespread community support, Chol Soo Lee was granted a new trial for the Chinatown murder, and was acquitted in 1982. The Chol Soo Lee Defense Committee then turned their attention on overturning Lee’s death sentence. Again, they were successful; the death sentence was overturned and Chol Soo was released in 1983.
The Free Chol Soo Lee Movement,has been featured on 20/20, and the documentary “A Question of Justice” by Sandra Gin, provided a closer look at the case itself. The events that led to his release inspired the 1989 film, “True Believer,” although the majority of the film was fabricated.
However, the effects of nearly ten years of institutionalization had dire consequences. While trying to readjust to society, Chol Soo Lee has a couple brushed with the law and was caught in a fire that left 85% of his body burned.
Chol Soo Lee, displaying the same determination that kept him alive during his incarceration, has since transcended his digressions, and works with various community organizations to educate the
public about the criminal justice system and civil rights. As a means to this end, he is available to speak to audiences and share his experiences, teaching the lessons one could only attain through overcoming a life of hardship.From Faculty and Community Members in the Asian American Community
“Chol Soo Lee's presence in the classroom complements the publications about his case and the archived correspondence between him and K.W. Lee well.Students are able to bear witness to his physical and emotional survival of incarceration and to listen to the importance of community activism in the 1970s and in the present day.”
“...I had the opportunity to invite Chol Soo Lee to my Ethnic Studies 220 course to share his stories with my students. He was an excellent
"I have been fortunate to work with Chol Soo Lee over the last four years. Our first meeting yielded the incredibly insightful and poignant interview, "A Conversation with Chol Soo Lee and K.W. Lee" published in /Amerasia Journal/ in 2005. Since then, I have had numerous opportunities to work with Chol Soo Lee in and out of the classroom. In his multiple speaking engagements, his brilliance, charisma, compassion, honesty, wisdom, and commitment to social change have captivated audiences and touched a whole new generation of young people who have been inspired by his message of struggle, hope, and unity."
Richard S. Kim, Asian American Studies,
College Campuses:
University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Santa Barbara
Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach
Various Churches and Temples across the United States.
Korean American Coalition (Atlanta, GA)
Symposiums:
“Remembering the Free Chol Soo Lee Movement,”
Sacramento, CA
“Remembering the Chol Soo Lee Movement” Symposium,April 7th, 2007,
“Remembering a Movement: The Free Chol Soo Lee Movement 25 Years Later”
March 14th, 2008, San Francisco State University
National Conferences
KASCON, Philadelphia, 2009
