A woman who decided to become a lawyer

Even in a world seemingly marred by prejudice and injustice, belief and goodness exist. The film "Free Chol Soo Lee," directed by Julie Lee and Lee Seong-min, currently screening, is a testament to this faith and goodwill.

The film recounts an incident that occurred in San Francisco's Chinatown in 1973, where a high-ranking member of a Chinese gang was shot and killed. A 20-year-old Korean immigrant, Chol Soo Lee, was arrested and convicted of murder, receiving a life sentence. The Korean community shunned him, but a fellow Japanese immigrant of the same age, Ranko Yamada, who had known him, was convinced of his innocence. The woman scoured the city with her $500, searching for lawyers willing to take on the case. However, her efforts to secure their assistance were in vain, as they demanded $5,000 as a retainer fee. Disheartened, she made the life-altering decision to become a lawyer herself.

During this time, she also began reaching out to people to rally support for the rescue movement. She even implored Investigative Senior Journalist Lee Kyeong-won, working for the "Sacramento Union," to meet with Chol Soo Lee. Ultimately, the journalist visited him, reviewed thousands of pages of trial records over six months, and confirmed the truth. The trial had been flawed from the beginning. Police, prosecutors, judges, and even court-appointed lawyers all believed Chol Soo Lee was of Chinese descent. They failed to verify his alibi and ignored tips asserting his innocence. The witnesses they presented were white individuals who thought all Asians looked identical. In essence, it was a trial tainted by racial discrimination. When such an article appeared in the "Sacramento Union," where the father of American literature, Mark Twain, had once worked, the Korean community mobilized, and other Asian immigrants joined the cause. Thanks to the pioneering Asian-American civil rights movement, Chol Soo Lee was granted a new trial and released after ten years.

At the time of Lee’s release, Ranko Yamada had become a lawyer. Her unwavering belief and goodwill saved a life. In a world teeming with prejudice and injustice, what makes it bearable are individuals driven by a thirst for justice. This film underscores the need to pay attention to such individuals.