Charlie Lee was a character who appeared in the second episode of the CBS-TV series M*A*S*H, in the Season 1 episode "To Market, to Market". The part of Charlie Lee was played by late actor Jack Soo, who is perhaps best know to TV viewers for his role as Det. Nick Yemada on the long-running ABC-TV sitcom Barney Miller.
About Charlie Lee[]
When Col. Blake purchases himself an antique desk for his office, the 4077th is desperately short on hydrocortisone. Radar manages to find the name of Charlie Lee, who's a well known black marketeer in South Korea; Pierce and McIntyre go to see in Charile in Seoul to ask him about purchasing some hydrocortisone from him. Charlie tells them that he has a box but that it would cost them $10,000. After a series of offers which are no match for what Charlie already has or can beat, they offer to trade the hydrocortisone for Henry's desk.
Charlie shows up at the 4077 dressed as a South Korean General. Lee is inspecting the desk while Blake tells him about it. Pierce and McIntyre ask how he got it in the room as it is obviously to big to fit through the door. After meeting Henry in posing as a South Korean General with the premise of seeing the desk; after seeing it, agrees to the trade, but the desk must be ready to be put on his truck at exactly 0600 the next morning. As Charlie leaves and the desk is taken out of the office by dismantling the back wall of the CO's office, unbeknownst to Henry, Burns and Houlihan are talking, Burns is sure that Hawkeye and Trapper are up to something but doesn't know what.