Chu Lee

Chu Lee was born on February 6, 1932, in Yeonggwang City, Jeolla Province, South Korea. Despite the Korean War disrupting his education, he moved to Japan, earning a degree in English Literature from Sophia University and a Master’s in International Relations from Chuo University.

In the 1950s, Chu was among a few Korean entrepreneurs in the U.S., working for Samho Trading Company in New York. There, he met Ms. Chin Hwan Oh, who became his wife for 62 years.

Chu and Chin had three children: Alice (1963), Janet (1964), and Sung (1966). They returned to Korea in 1966, where Chu started his own trading company. The business faced difficulties during the 1973 oil crisis, prompting Chu to seek new opportunities in the U.S. Their fourth child, Jun, was born in 1974.

The family reunited in the U.S. in 1977. Despite initial struggles, Chu restarted his business and moved to Oradell, New Jersey, in 1981.  By the late 1990s, the couple enjoyed an empty nest as their children became independent.

Chu retired in 2009 at 77. He was an elder at Westwood United Methodist Church and had a passion for classical music and global affairs. Chu lived a life of honor and principle. He will be missed.