Riot Memories Cloud Korean Celebration

The Friendship Bell had barely stopped ringing at the Korean Independence Day celebration Saturday in San Pedro when Phillip No began talking animatedly about the depression, anxiety and bitterness that have lingered after the Los Angeles riots for many Korean-Americans.

“We will not forget this, the people who hurt us,” said No, who owns a San Pedro liquor store and heads a merchants committee for the Korean-American Grocers Assn. of Southern California.

Organizers said they moved the annual celebration of peace and independence to the hilltop site and expanded it--with enough free barbecued beef to feed the more than 1,000 participants--to help heal the psychological wounds inflicted by the riots, when numerous businesses owned by Korean-Americans were ransacked and burned.

Officially, the purpose of the event was to commemorate Korea’s liberation from Japanese rule on Aug. 15, 1945. But for many who attended, April 29, 1992--the day riots erupted after not guilty verdicts were handed down in the Rodney G. King beating case--remains far more vivid.

As he passed out plates of beef and rice and kimchi, Los Angeles travel company president Kenneth Yu said that when he came to the United States 18 years ago, he never imagined he would have to arm himself. During the riots, however, he spent seven days and nights at his West Olympic Boulevard business, wielding a borrowed shotgun.

“We were so shocked. We believed this was a peaceful country, a democratic country,” Yu said. “It was really like being back in a war.”

Yu said he bought a gun after the riots and many of his friends did too.

“We do not like to live that way,” he said. “But it will take a while to recover our confidence.”

Among those who attended Sunday’s celebration were dozens of retired American soldiers who served in the Korean War. The riots were particularly upsetting for them, they said, because over the years they have forged close friendships with Koreans and Korean-Americans.

“They’re always so hospitable when we go to their country,” said retired Navy Cmdr. Arthur Manger, who leads tours of veterans to South Korea. “It was very painful to see them treated that way here.”

One of the event’s organizers, KAZN radio general manager Inhwan Kim, was optimistic that the pain soon will pass.

“We need to have this kind of thing quite often, to forget about racial tension and remember what we are here for--the American Dream,” he said.

Behind him, at a podium set up in front of the Korean Friendship Bell, a chain of dignitaries gave lengthy speeches about democracy, veterans and the Korean veterans memorial, which is to be erected at the San Pedro site next year. Then the Ka Joo children’s community choir broke into song:

“God bless America,” they harmonized. “Our home, sweet home.”