USA: Koreans living in Los Angeles react to the Monday morning massacre by a Korean student at Virginia Tech University

Record ID: 789084

  • Title: USA: Koreans living in Los Angeles react to the Monday morning massacre by a Korean student at Virginia Tech University
  • Date: 18th April 2007
  • Summary: KOREAN RESIDENTS WALKING DOWN THE STREET IN LOS ANGELES (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) RADIO KOREA REPORTER JONATHAN SHIN SAYING: "The LA Korean community is very saddened by the news and I express my condolences to the victims and their families. I hope that no harm is down towards the whole Korean community because of this." (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) KOREAN RESIDENT, INME CO, SAYING: "As a South Korean I am a bit embarrassed but I hope this doesn't negatively affect the Korean Americans because it is a personal thing and it is that person's issue. That person cannot represent the whole Korean community. But as a South Korean it is a very pitiful incident." (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) KOREAN RESIDENT, KYUCACU KIM, SAYING: "In Korea you cannot own guns but here (in the U.S.) it is easy to own them. There are a lot of cases where Koreans, at a young age, carry guns at night and cause trouble and I think that mirrors a negative image of us to the Americans. So I don't think they reflect a good image of Koreans." (SOUNDBITE) (English) RADIO KOREA REPORTER JONATHAN SHIN SAYING: "Oh mainly they are concerned, at the same time they are very saddened by this tragedy. But at the same time they are very concerned about what kind of a racial backlash they might be facing, in terms of especially for the children at school, cause, yeah." WIDE OF KOREAN RESIDENTS WALKING DOWN THE STREET IN LOS ANGELES
  • Embargoed: 3rd May 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement
  • Reuters ID: LVAF4WC0CDVUCUJM6I5G590NRDGC
  • Story Text: The Korean Consulate General in Los Angeles issues a short statement and members of the Korean community in Los Angeles react to the killing spree on Monday (April 16) morning by a Korean immigrant student at Virginia Tech University that left 33 dead. In the wake of the worst school shooting in United States history, Koreans living in Los Angeles reacted to the violence, expressing fears about a potential backlash against their community.
    The press gathered in front of the Korean Consulate General in Los Angeles on Tuesday (April 17) afternoon, where a consulate spokesperson issued a brief statement.
    "The Korean Consulate General in Los Angeles is shocked and dismayed by the violent crime that took place yesterday at the Virginia Tech University," read Hee-sang Yoon. "We express our deepest sympathies and most sincere condolences to the victims and their families and friends."
    The greater Los Angeles area is home to the largest number of ethnic Koreans living outside of Asia.
    In Los Angeles, members of the Koreatown community shared their concerns about the potential for an angry outpouring that may be aimed at Korean immigrants in coming days.
    "The LA Korean community is very saddened by the news and I express my condolences to the victims and their families. I hope that no harm is down towards the whole Korean community because of this," said Radio Korea reporter Jonathan Shin.
    "As a South Korean I am a bit embarrassed but I hope this doesn't negatively affect the Korean Americans because it is a personal thing and it is that person's issue. That person cannot represent the whole Korean community. But as a South Korean it is a very pitiful incident," added Inme Co.
    Kyucacu Kim said the ability for Koreans, who cannot purchase guns in their native homeland, to possess guns in the U.S. was a problem.
    "In Korea you cannot own guns but here (in the U.S.) it is easy to own them. There are a lot of cases where Koreans, at a young age, carry guns at night and cause trouble and I think that mirrors a negative image of us to the Americans. So I don't think they reflect a good image of Koreans," he said.
    Koreans were also worried about how the incident may affect the safety of their children.
    "Oh mainly they are concerned, at the same time they are very saddened by this tragedy. But at the same time they are very concerned about what kind of a racial backlash they might be facing, in terms of especially for the children at school, cause, yeah," added Shin.
    The gunman was identified as Cho Seung-Hui, 23, an English literature student. Prompted by an apparent dispute with his girlfriend, Cho used two guns to kill 33 of his fellow students at the college in Southern Virginia. According to U.S. immigration officials, he had lived legally in the United States with his parents for the past 14 years.
    According to the U.S. Customs and Enforcement website, South Korea has the largest number of foreign students in the United States at nearly 15 percent.
    Police said Cho appeared to have chained doors shut to prevent people from escaping while he fired at them. Survivors recounted how he went silently from room to room, calmly firing dozens of rounds at students and staff.
    Several media outlets reported that Cho was carrying a backpack with a receipt for a Glock 9 mm pistol that he bought in March. His other weapon was a .22-caliber pistol.
    Cho moved to the United States with his parents in September 1992, said a spokesman with U.S. citizenship and Immigration Services.
    As a resident alien, commonly known as a "green card" holder, Cho could live and work indefinitely in the United States, although he would not be able to vote or get a U.S. passport.
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