The KAGRO held an emergency meeting at the Korean American Federation of L.A. on Tuesday to discuss how their businesses should prevent further damages. Soon-nyuh Yoon, the owner of Hubert’s Liquor, which has recently been attacked during the unrest, also attended the meeting.
“One of the African-American customers began yelling ‘Black Power’ in front of the store after I refused to sell alcohol to him as he clearly already looked drunk,” Yoon said.
“What I did was completely lawful. Even after I called the police, they said there’s nothing law enforcement could do as the event didn’t take place inside our store. That is when I contacted the likes of KAF L.A. and KAGRO to seek help.”
The latest incident came to a close promptly as KAF L.A. chairwoman Laura Jeon and L.A.’s South Korean consulate general Key-chol Lee chose to help Yoon.
KAGRO chairman Joong-chil Kim said it is important for Korean liquor store owners to develop their own network to prepare for such incidents.
“It’s often the small business owners who are victimized the most,” Kim said. “It’s difficult for someone by him or herself to deal with an entire community of people.”
Kim added that the KAGRO is currently undergoing development of the organization’s network, which would include a group chat for its members who are currently running liquor stores in California. By providing a group chat for business owners, the KAGRO plans to share resources and offering help when necessary.
By Hyunwook Chung
