Chinatown Murder Case
Sidedoor
Smithsonian Institution
4.6 • 2.3K Ratings
🗓️ 18 February 2026
⏱️ 48 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
A string of unsolved murders in San Francisco's Chinatown in the 1970s led police to the door of a young Korean immigrant named Chol Soo Lee — who was quickly arrested and sentenced to life in prison. But when investigative journalist K.W. Lee started digging into the case, he discovered a world of twisted law and order that went far deeper than one man. The articles K.W. wrote about what he uncovered in Chinatown shocked Asian Americans across Northern California to stand up and demand justice for Chol Soo Lee — and themselves.
Corrections:
In this episode we state that Chol Soo Lee had a mustache in the photo that appeared in the mug book. Correction: He did have a mustache at the time of the killing, but he did not have a mustache in that photo.
We state that K.W. Lee learned of Chol Soo Lee stabbing a fellow inmate from a TV news segment. Correction: He learned about it in a news briefing.
We state that K.W. Lee was at the premiere of the documentary “Free Chol Soo Lee.” Correction: He attended the premiere virtually in January of 2022. He physically attended a screening in August of 2022 when the film was released in theaters.
Guests:
Sojin Kim, curator at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
Ranko Yamada, friend of K.W. Lee and Chol Soo Lee
Julie Ha, journalist, writer and co-director of the documentary film "Free Chol Soo Lee"
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey there, Side Doorables. A quick warning about today's episode. |
| 0:03.7 | It includes a brief description of violence. |
| 0:06.4 | So if you're listening with youngsters, keep that in mind. |
| 0:18.2 | This is Side Door, a podcast from the Smithsonian with support from PRX. |
| 0:22.9 | I'm Lizzie Peabody. |
| 0:27.8 | If you were to visit San Francisco in the early 1970s, you might see sea lions lounging at Pier 39, |
| 0:41.3 | then hop on a cable car over the hills to Market Street to do some shopping, catch a movie |
| 0:46.4 | or a concert at one of the many famous venues that lined the streets with their tall neon |
| 0:51.1 | marquies, or swing over to Hayd Ashbury to see hippies with names like Tuesday playing guitar |
| 0:56.9 | and walking the streets in the nude. |
| 1:00.4 | And there was, of course, the city's bustling Chinatown, |
| 1:03.9 | with glowing paper lanterns dangling over the streets, |
| 1:07.5 | dragon sculptures, standing guard, |
| 1:09.8 | and stores with pagoda-like roofs, architecture reminiscent |
| 1:12.9 | of Eastern Asia. |
| 1:14.7 | But like any major city in the 1970s, Chinatown's splendor was sometimes shattered by an act |
| 1:22.4 | of violence. |
| 1:23.9 | Yip Yitak, an advisor to the Hua Qing, a Chinese youth gang, was gunned down execution style in front of hundreds of terrified witnesses. |
| 1:32.7 | On June 3rd, 1973, a gang leader named Yip Yitak was gunned down at a very busy intersection in Chinatown. |
| 1:42.0 | Julie Ha is a journalist and filmmaker. |
| 1:44.9 | This murder was actually witnessed by probably dozens and dozens of people. |
| 1:50.5 | Julie says this was a gangland execution, the victim, a prominent gang leader. |
... |
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