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Free Chol Soo Lee

On June 3, 1973, a man was murdered in a busy intersection of San Francisco’s Chinatown as part of an ongoing gang war. Chol Soo Lee, a 20-year-old Korean immigrant who had previous run-ins with the law, was arrested and convicted based on flimsy evidence and the eyewitness accounts of white tourists who couldn’t distinguish between Asian features. Sentenced to life in prison, Chol Soo Lee would spend years fighting to survive behind bars before journalist K.W. Lee took an interest in his case. The intrepid reporter’s investigation would galvanize a first-of-its-kind pan-Asian American grassroots movement to fight for Chol Soo Lee’s freedom, ultimately inspiring a new generation of social justice activists.

Top Cast

  • Chol Soo Lee

    Chol Soo Lee

    Self (archive footage)

  • Sebastian Yoon

    Sebastian Yoon

    Narrator (voice)

  • Ranko Yamada

    Ranko Yamada

    Self - Friend; Defense Committee

  • K.W. Lee

    K.W. Lee

    Self - Investigative Reporter

  • Jeff Adachi

    Jeff Adachi

    Self - Activist

  • David Kakishiba

    David Kakishiba

    Self - Activist

  • Jay Kun Yoo

    Jay Kun Yoo

    Self - Chair, Defense Committee

  • Grace Kim

    Grace Kim

    Self - Vice-chair, Defense Committee

  • Warren Furutani

    Warren Furutani

    Self - L.A. Defense Committee

Overview

On June 3, 1973, a man was murdered in a busy intersection of San Francisco’s Chinatown as part of an ongoing gang war. Chol Soo Lee, a 20-year-old Korean immigrant who had previous run-ins with the law, was arrested and convicted based on flimsy evidence and the eyewitness accounts of white tourists who couldn’t distinguish between Asian features. Sentenced to life in prison, Chol Soo Lee would spend years fighting to survive behind bars before journalist K.W. Lee took an interest in his case. The intrepid reporter’s investigation would galvanize a first-of-its-kind pan-Asian American grassroots movement to fight for Chol Soo Lee’s freedom, ultimately inspiring a new generation of social justice activists.

Rating

7.3 / 10
14 Reviews
0 Popular

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