Riot Victims Demand ‘Reparations’ for Losses : Protest: Korean-Americans who lost businesses during the civil unrest demonstrate outside City Hall.

More than 250 Korean-American merchants demonstrated outside City Hall on Monday, calling for better government recovery programs and “reparations” for victims who lost businesses in the Los Angeles riots.

“We need compensation,” said Young-Soon Han, owner of a Los Angeles liquor store and grocery market that was burned down, as she and other merchants carried signs reading “What Happened to the American Dream” and “Bush--No More Lip Service.”

The Korean-American Victims’ Assn., which organized the rally, wants the federal government to speed up and simplify the application process for aid, said spokesman Jin Lee.

“We have been imploring local, state and federal legislators to respond quickly and fairly to our requests,” he said, “to no avail.”

Win Henderson, speaking later for both the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Small Business Administration, noted that federal laws demand verification of all financial information submitted before loans and assistance grants can be approved.

“This takes time,” he said, adding that he understood applicants’ frustration. “A moment to us is a long time to another person.”

Henderson said FEMA has been taking two to three weeks to process applications for housing assistance grants, and has issued more than 1,200 checks totaling $3.1 million. SBA officials say loans totaling $6.8 million--101 out of 1,100 applications--have been approved.

But several demonstrators said owners of destroyed businesses--many of them uninsured--should not have to shoulder new loans on top of their existing financial burdens, because they were not to blame for the riots.

“Even if I qualify for SBA loans, it’s still a debt,” said Han. “What about all the money I saved all my life which is gone? They are squeezing our necks.”

The call for “reparations” became so emotional at one point that Edward Kim, who lost his swap meet in the unrest, ran up the steps on the south side of City Hall and pounded on the glass doors, screaming. He writhed on the concrete in front of the doors and appeared to faint.

Jeong K. Cho, who lost his electronics supply business, pounded a placard reading “Where Are Our Rights” on the concrete steps. After weeks waiting on his FEMA grant application, he said: “They just sent me a letter asking for more information. I sent them everything--my electric bill, my telephone bill, my income tax. I don’t know what more they want.”

Cho was angry that government aid has been set aside for city agencies. “I see in the papers they are giving millions to the Los Angeles police for overtime. I can’t believe this. They just stood and looked at the looting.’

In the meantime, Cho said he and his family have been eating from food boxes supplied by his church. “Our situation is bad, really bad.”