Est. 1992, the Rooftop Koreans made history as a hastily formed group of Korean-Americans who defended their businesses and livelihoods during the L.A. riots. Their numbers largely consisted of volunteers: mostly shop owners and whoever accepted the call to arms- friends, family, and community members alike. The
LAPD had largely abandoned the Korean-American community in their greatest time of need (go ahead, look it up), leaving
small business owners in
Koreatown to essentially
fend for themselves against opportunistic
looters and thieves. Their spirit has left a profound mark on American small business owners to this day, representing a rallying cry of eternal
vigilance against rabid mobs of looters and in more modern days, herds of alleged "anti-fascists" and "peaceful protestors".
Some of the most memorable imagery and live footage of the
'92 riots captures the moments when Korean-Americans armed themselves with whatever firearms they could get their hands on and provided overwatch from the
rooftops of their privately owned shops and markets (hence the name Rooftop Koreans).
It is worth noting every Korean male is required to provide 2 years of mandatory service in the Republic of Korea Armed Forces.
Example:
Give a Korean immigrant a life in the United States, and he'll be the proudest American of them all. But should you choose to burn his home and torch his
livelihood, you'll have to deal with the feared Rooftop Koreans: an unstoppable community and
force of nature, hailing from the eagle-screeching patriotism of the
founding fathers of the U.S. of-fucking-A and the South Korean mainland.