Why Koreans took up arms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCYT9Hew9ZU&feature=youtu.be

When Korean businesses were being looted during the LA riots many Koreans took up guns. At first this seems like an obvious choice. When you need to defend yourself, you want the best possible option. However, why were many Koreans so confident in using their weapons? And why were the Koreans so desperate to protect their stores, to the point where they would engage in shootouts to defend them? The answer lies in their original country South Korea.

Korea is a country that was often wracked with war and conflict. Often times it was a country fought over by either China or Japan. Despite being a country that was often fought over by other countries, Korea managed to persevere and retain their culture. The most recent war in the Korean peninsula was the Korean war, which took place from 1950 to 1953, around 40 years before the LA riots. As a result of the constant battles, men were drafted into the army for three years (now two) to serve. As a result, many South Korean males were militarily trained in the aftermath of the Korean war. Not only that, but many of the Koreans were as expected poor. Often times when Koreans moved to the United States they often brought everything they had with them. While African-Americans may have viewed Koreans in "cahoots" with the whites, it couldn't be further from the truth. While white Americans may have favored Koreans over African-Americans, Koreans faced discrimination as well, often not being able to get loans. As a result, the Koreans had a close knit community where everyone helps each other. This is shown in the video above where David Joo does not hesitate to protect his boss's store. So when the LA riots occurred many Koreans did not hesitate to grab guns to defend their stores. Not only were they trained in the military, it was probably all they had.

-Kenneth Yang