Freedom Socialist Party (FSP) members were deeply saddened to learn of the tragic death of our dear comrade Sue Mi Ko. Born on Feb. 23, 1973, Sue Mi was only 52 when she died in a hiking region of Vermont. Initially reported missing on Jan. 9, her body was found on April 30 after the winter thaw.
Sue Mi met the New York branch of FSP in the spring of 2011 at an antiwar march. Passionate about the environment, she shortly afterwards helped to organize an FSP screening of the anti-fracking film Gasland.
Following her relocation to Maryland in 2015, Sue Mi joined the FSP and immersed herself in collaborative study of Marxist and feminist writings. The daughter of Korean immigrants, she was a staunch fighter for all the oppressed and grasped the intrinsic connections between race, gender, sexual orientation, and class. She embraced a revolutionary feminist perspective and wrote for the Freedom Socialist newspaper, including on water privatization and its effect on poor communities, a special concern of hers.
Sue Mi gave her all to everything she was committed to. She wanted to fundamentally change the world. She was active in the Comrades of Color Caucus, a joint body of FSP and its sister organization, Radical Women, which she also joined. She coordinated the 2022 national fund drive for the Freedom Socialist newspaper, which raised over $100,000. A law student turned nursing home caregiver, Sue Mi was also a skilled photographer and videographer, creating powerful films for the party and the movements.
Empathetic and unassuming, Sue Mi had a passion for poetry and animal rights. She was a dedicated family member and cared for the friends she made. She is greatly missed and will live on in the hearts and minds of all who were fortunate to know her and learn from her. Sue Mi Ko, ¡presente!
Steve Strauss worked with Sue Mi Ko as they organized together in the Baltimore area. Send comments to FSnews@socialism.com.
