Recent Attacks Spread Fear in Korean Community

SAN FRANCISCO -- Two recent attacks on Korean small business owners have sparked fear among Korean Americans who feel that their community is now vulnerable to violence.

On Aug. 19, Jin Sun Kim, 54, was found slumped over the cash register by a customer at the New California Market on the corner of California Street and 19th Avenue. Kim was rushed to St. Mary's hospital, where she was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound. No suspects have been charged with the murder, and police are seeking eyewitness accounts.

In the tightly knit Korean community word about the attack spread quickly. Many are worried about the growing homicide rate in the city. Kim’s death was the 58th homicide in San Francisco this year, higher than the 47 homicides recorded for all of 2005. Neighbors were surprised the incident occurred in the typically quiet, middle class Richmond district.

"I've lived in this neighborhood for 20 years and this is the first time I've seen something like this," says Rae Il Park, a long time friend and church member of Kim.

For the owners of Pacific Super on nearby Clement Street, Kim's death strikes on a personal level. "We've been in the neighborhood for 18 years," say the owners, who preferred to remain anonymous. "We would sometimes visit with Mrs. Kim at her store, or bump into her on the street."

Neighbors have described Kim as a friendly and hardworking woman. According to friends of the family, Kim closed the shop only once in 10 years to attend her daughter's wedding.

Although authorities have not released information on possible motives, there is speculation in the Korean community that Kim might have refused demands for money by someone attempting to rob the store.

Adding to community concerns, on Aug. 10, Byung Ho Park, who owned a laundromat on California Street, several blocks down from Kim, was also attacked with a large metal object. The attack occurred at 8 am, and the incident left Park hospitalized for several days.

Many Koreans feel there are no longer any "safe neighborhoods" in the city to do business, according to David Kim, who directs the Korean Community Center in San Francisco. The community center will be holding a seminar for storeowners in collaboration with the San Francisco Police Department to "offer advice on how to deal with robberies and effective ways of protecting themselves."

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