During the 1992 L.A. riots, sparked by the acquittal of four LAPD officers in the Rodney King beating, Korean-American store owners found themselves in a vulnerable position. Their businesses were heavily concentrated in areas hit hardest by the unrest, particularly in South Central L.A., where racial and economic tensions boiled over.
One of the most iconic images from the riots shows two armed Korean men standing on the roof of a grocery store, defending it from looters. This moment highlighted the desperation of many Korean shopkeepers, who felt abandoned by law enforcement during the chaos. Lacking protection, they took it upon themselves to safeguard their livelihoods.
The incident, part of what Korean-Americans call “Sa-I-Gu” (April 29 in Korean), became a symbol of the community’s isolation, caught between the African American population they served and a system that failed them. It underscored deeper racial and economic divisions in L.A., as well as the resilience of Korean store owners in the face of devastation.
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