Service Honors Immigrant Who Alleged Workplace Bias

Nearly 50 people, including the consul general of South Korea, attended a memorial service Friday for Myung-Sub “Mike” Lee to mark the one-year anniversary of this death. Lee, who was Korean, killed himself after allegations of workplace discrimination by his Japanese bosses.

The Rev. Moses Kim of Southern California Joyful Church, which Lee attended, told the gathering at Wilshire United Methodist Church that he still feels a knot in his heart when he remembers Lee.

During the hourlong service, speakers said Korean American employers must remember to treat non-Korean workers with respect and fairness.

Lee’s widow, Junko Lee, is asking a federal court to permit her to pursue a wrongful death claim against Nippon Express USA, a worldwide shipping firm.

The company, which has denied the discrimination charges, is urging the court to reject her claim, contending that the family’s right to sue was waived when Mike Lee settled his grievance with the company three days before he took his life.

Junko Lee says the settlement document her husband signed is invalid because he was mentally incompetent at the time.

Lawyers for Nippon Express have called Junko Lee’s action baseless.

The Rev. Ruy Mizuki, pastor at West Valley United Methodist Church and a third-generation Japanese American, prayed for God’s intervention to bring a just solution.