As least 79 Korean owned businesses in the United States sustained damage during looting and violence across the United States, according to a report from Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Korea JoongAng Daily reports business owners in Philadelphia suffered the most damage with 50 cases, followed by 10 in Minneapolis, five in Raleigh, North Carolina, and four in Atlanta.
Four incidents were also reported in California and one in Florida.
Attorney General William Barr told ABC News the peaceful protests have been hijacked by extremists intent on inflicting turmoil and damage.
According to Asian Dawn, Los Angeles’ Koreatown escaped much of the violence following protests of the death of George Floyd . Some credit rooftop patrols of the neighborhood by armed volunteers.
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However, one business alone in Chicago reported $350,000 in damage. Hak Kim of City Fashion tells CBS2 he stood guard over his store for hours, but his employees convinced him to leave the storer for his own safety.
He said he had to watch from the parking lot as 20 to 30 people ransacked his store.
“Protest, people hanging around, I understand. but why they broke the small business? Why they broke the store and take the merchandise,” he said. “It’s not right. That’s not right,” he told CBS2.
A Go Fund Me campaign for City Fashion has so far raised more than $90,000.
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