Read the full article by George Toshio Johnston on the Pacific Citizen website.
Summary
Korean American journalist Kyung Won (“K.W.”) Lee passed away at age 96 on March 8, 2025, in Sacramento, CA. Lee became the first Korean immigrant reporter at several mainstream U.S. newspapers, starting with the Kingsport Times‑News in Tennessee in 1956. His landmark 120‑article series in the 1970s and ’80s helped overturn the wrongful conviction of fellow Korean immigrant Chol Soo Lee, a case later dramatized in the 1989 film True Believer and the 2022 Emmy-winning documentary Free Chol Soo Lee.
K.W. Lee used his platform to expose injustice—whether in Appalachia, California, or immigrant communities—and founded the Koreatown Weekly in 1979 and later edited the Korea Times English edition to amplify Asian American voices. Honored with numerous awards, including AAJA’s Lifetime Achievement and Freedom Forum’s Free Spirit award, he also established the K.W. Lee Center for Leadership and mentored generations of journalists.
Read the full article by George Toshio Johnston on the Pacific Citizen website.
