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Korean armed resistance in the Los Angeles riots

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Korean armed resistance in the Los Angeles riots began on April 29, 1992 after the Rodney King verdict. Korean businesses were the primary target of looters in the 1992 Los Angeles riots, as Los Angeles holds the nation's largest Korean-American community of 145,000. Korean Merchants suffered five shop owners killed, 2,100 businesses burned, more than $350 million in damage, or nearly half the city's total from the riots.[1] During the riots many Koreans from throughout the area rushed to Koreatown, spearheaded by a small group of Korean veterans with previous military service, heeding a call put out on Korean-language radio stations for volunteer security guards.[2] From the rooftop a group of Koreans armed with shotguns and automatic weapons peered onto the smoky streets. Scores of others, carrying steel pipes, pistols and automatic rifles, paced through the darkened parking lot in anticipation of an assault by looters.[2] One vigilante Korean security force, wearing white scarves, patrolled the burned and looted shops of Koreatown. "There was a lot of activity to protect the Korean businesses, especially in Koreatown. A lot of young Korean people had weapons. There was every kind of weapon, AR15s, AK-47s and Uzis. The police department was just sitting there watching it happen. It was total anarchy."[3]

One of the most iconic television images of the violence was a scene of two Korean merchants firing pistols repeatedly at roving looters. The NY Times said, "that the image seemed to speak of race war, and of vigilantes taking the law into their own hands."[4] "I want to make it clear that we didn't open fire first," said David Joo, manager of the gun shop. "At that time, four police cars were there. Somebody started to shoot at us. The L.A.P.D. ran away in half a second. I never saw such a fast escape. I was pretty disappointed."[4] Defending the armed response of the Koreans, Mr. Rhyu said, "If it was your own business and your own property, would you be willing to trust it to someone else? We are glad the National Guard is here. They're good backup. But when our shops were burning we called the police every five minutes; no response."[4] Jay Rhee estimated that he and others fired 500 shots into the ground and air. "We have lost our faith in the police," he said. "Where were you when we needed you?" One of the largest armed camps in Koreatown was at the California Market. On the first night after the verdicts were returned in the trial of the four officers charged in the beating of Rodney King, Richard Rhee, the market owner, posted himself in the parking lot with about 20 armed employees.[2]

One year later

One year after the riots fewer than one in four damaged or destroyed businesses reopened, according to the survey conducted by the Korean American Inter-Agency Council.[1] According to a LA Times survey conducted eleven months after the riots almost 40% of Korean-Americans said they were thinking of leaving Los Angeles.[5] Before a verdict was issued in the new 1993 Rodney King Federal civil rights trial against the four officers Korean shop owners prepared for the worst as fear ran throughout the city, gun sales went up, virtually all of them by those of Korean descent, some merchants at flea markets removed their merchandise from their shelves, storefronts were fortified with extra Plexiglas and bars. Throughout the community, shop owners are getting ready to defend themselves as if on the eve of a war.[1] Like many others, Miss Hwang's family is armed now with a Glock 17 pistol, a Beretta and a shotgun and they plan to barricade themselves in their store to fight off looters. Last year, she slept in the store for a month after the riot. The Korea Young Adult Team of Los Angeles, bought five AK-47 assault rifles. "We made a mistake last year," said Yong Kim, the group's leader. "This time we won't. I don't know why Koreans are always a special target for African-Americans, but if they are going to attack our community then we are going to pay them back."[1]

Suzanna Gratia-Hupp

Texas House of Representatives Suzanna Gratia-Hupp testified before Congress:

As far as these so-called assault weapons, you say that they don't have any defense use. You tell that to the guy that I saw on a videotape of the L.A. riots, standing up on his rooftop protecting his property and his life from an entire mob with one of these so-called assault weapons. Tell me that he didn't have a legitimate self-defense use.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Korean Shop Owners Fearful Of Outcome of Beating Trial". NY Times. Retrieved Aug 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |(empty string)= (help)
  2. ^ a b c "King Case Aftermath: A City In Crisis Looters, Merchants Put Koreatown Under the Gun". LA Times. Retrieved Aug 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |(empty string)= (help); line feed character in |title= at position 38 (help)
  3. ^ http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Angelenos+look+back+at+days+and+nights+of+%27Anarchy%27.+%28Mixed...-a091481192
  4. ^ a b c "RIOT IN LOS ANGLES: Pocket of Tension; A Target of Rioters, Koreatown Is Bitter, Armed and Determined". NY Times. Retrieved Aug 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |(empty string)= (help)
  5. ^ http://www.irwinator.com/126/wdoc204.htm
  6. ^ http://gunowners.org/sk0401.htm
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