Relatives of Christina Yuna Lee and members of the New York City Asian community urged lawmakers Tuesday to name a homeless shelter in memory of the late creative producer who was slaughtered by a vagrant in her Chinatown apartment.
Her grieving father, Sungkon Lee, said he wanted the “Christina Yuna Lee Memorial Shelter” in honor of his 35-year-old daughter, who was stabbed to death by convicted killer Assamad Nash in 2022.
“We want Christina’s memory to be remembered and to prevent others having a similar fate,” Sungkon said in a press conference after Nash, 27, was sentenced to 30-years-to-life in prison in Manhattan Supreme Court.
“It will contribute to preventing recurrence of similar incidents in the future and it will be a way to honor and remember Christina,” he said.
Nash, who was homeless at the time of the killing, followed Christina into her Chrystie Street apartment and stabbed her over 40 times in the early morning of Feb. 13, 2022.
Speaking to The Post after the press conference outside court, the victim’s devastated dad added: “When homeless people see my daughter’s name, they will think about the incident.”
Charles Yoon, the attorney for the Lee family, said that having a shelter named after Christina, who was of Korean-American descent, will make people never forget about her death.
Her death sparked community leaders to demand action from the city when attacks against Asian American Pacific Islander New Yorkers skyrocketed in 2022 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As much publicity as there is now, a few years down the line they may not remember,” Yoon said.
“By having her name on the shelter, it will reinforce to people what happened and that it was perpetrated by someone who was homeless,” he said. “We want to honor her and memorialize her so that it doesn’t happen again.”
Gene Kang, a member of the Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York, said that he hoped the city would honor the family’s request with a homeless shelter in the Chinatown area.
“Asian Americans in the city continue to fear for their safety, and these attacks must stop,” Kang said, adding that he hopes prosecutors and law enforcement will “remain vigilant” in attacks against Asian Americans.
Sungkon Lee also slammed the NYPD, accusing cops of failing to help his daughter even as she was heard screaming for help from inside her apartment — allegations he’s made in a still-pending lawsuit against the department.
“The decisive cause of Christina’s death occurred at the scene of the incident. We believe that there was an inadequate response by the police who arrived. The first mission of NYC and its police is to protect the safety of its citizens,” he said.
“My family is currently pursuing a lawsuit against New York City. But what my family really wants is not compensation,” the dad continued. “Instead, we want Christina’s memory to be remembered and to prevent others from having a similar fate.”
