A Rough Diamond : Award: Liquor store owner Myung A. Chung is honored for his role in helping turn around a crime-ridden community.

Myung A. Chung could have just been another angry liquor store owner who fought city codes, ignored his community and turned a blind eye to the crime and blight around him.

But instead, he paid attention to community protests and city demands for his cooperation. And on Thursday some of the same people who complained about his store honored him.

“He bought into a real tough part of the city,” said Jon Perica, a city zoning administrator who could have been Chung’s nemesis. “He got into problems because he didn’t know how to play the game.”

Six years ago, Pacoima community leaders rose up to ask that special restrictions be placed on three liquor stores--including Chung’s--that were targeted by the city and the community as public nuisances for attracting drug dealing, crime, graffiti and alcohol sales to minors.

On Thursday, outside of Chung’s store, John’s Liquor Store on Van Nuys Boulevard, the community, anti-alcohol activists, state and city officials, as well as Los Angeles police publicly thanked him for taking an active role in turning around the neighborhood. Leaders of the Los Angeles Coalition on Alcohol Responsibility and Enforcement (LA CARE) presented Chung--who likes to be known by his American name, John--with a “Blue Ribbon” award for his community involvement.

To Perica, the example Chung has set is extraordinary because not only did he comply with restrictions that were imposed on his business, he did so the day they went into effect in 1988. And not only did he post the restrictions on the property as required, he blew them up into poster size so that all visitors could see his earnest effort to work with the city.

“He is unique, a diamond in the rough,” Perica said. “For every one of a Mr. Chung, you would get 10 others who would deny they are violating conditions, get a lawyer and fight the city.”

Under the restrictions imposed by the city, Chung agreed to scale back his hours by not staying open after midnight, add security, keep the property clean and discourage loitering. He also goes to classes once a year to get an update on liquor laws.

Chung was honored Thursday not only because he did not fight the restrictions--as another liquor store did--but because he also became involved with the community.

‘You have to be involved,” said Chung, who was a recent immigrant to America from Korea when he bought the store in 1986. “In the long run, it’s better for your store.”

An example of Chung’s involvement is his nomination of three local students who won college scholarships from the Korean American Grocers Assn.

His business is a success story, Perica said, that shows, “it is possible to sell alcohol in a responsible way.”

But Augie Maldonado, a community activist, points out that this successful cooperation between a business and a community was made possible in part because John’s Liquor had been caught in a police decoy program selling liquor to minors in 1988.

“That was a big mistake,” said Chung.

Police decoys are minors who try to purchase alcohol to see if the cashier checks for valid identification. Chung said he did not intend to sell to a minor, but business was busy and he got careless.

“He was not a bad person,” said Perica, who uses Chung as an example to other businesses. “He’s a well motivated person and a super hard worker. He just needed some guidance.”

Maldonado said 1988--when Chung’s liquor store was targeted by community activists--was a year in which Pacoima residents became aware that crime and drug-dealing was reaching a peak in the community. A series of marches were held that year at targeted stores, which community leaders connected with criminal activity.

“There was a period in this community that was very ugly,” said Maldonado, who is also a member of LA CARE. “It’s been an uphill battle.”

But Chung’s cooperation has been well worth it, Maldonado said. ‘The payoff for John is that now he has a lot of friends.”