A group of Korean Americans in Los Angeles during the 1992 riots
Rooftop Koreans or Roof Koreans refer to the Korean American business owners and residents during the 1992 Los Angeles riots who armed themselves and took to the rooftops of local businesses to defend themselves. The unrest in urban areas was sparked by the acquittal of four Los Angeles Police Department officers in the beating of Rodney King and resulted in rioting, and looting, along with widespread violence and arson throughout the city.[1][2] Many had felt abandoned by law enforcement, which was criticized for its slow response in Koreatown.[3] The imagery of armed shopkeepers became emblematic of Korean Americans' struggle during the riots and has since been embraced by gun rights advocates as an example of the necessity of self-defense in the absence of state protection.[4]
In the years following the riots, the "Roof Koreans" narrative has evolved into a cultural and political symbol. While initially a reference to the resilience of Korean-American shop owners, it has been widely adopted in pro-gun circles and Second Amendment advocacy, with some viewing it as a justification for private gun ownership in times of civil unrest. The meme has gained popularity online, particularly in gun rights communities, where it is often cited as an argument for armed self-defense.[4]
Tensions had existed between the Korean and African American communities in Los Angeles. According to some Koreans, there was a feeling among blacks that Koreans were taking from the community, via the operation of small businesses in the area, which led to racial resentment.[5] Previous violent incidents including the 1991 killing of Latasha Harlins, an African-American teenager who was fatally and controversially shot by a Korean-American convenience store owner, Soon Ja Du.[6]
Du was tried, convicted, and given ten years in prison. However, the sentence was suspended, and she was instead placed on five years' probation with 400 hours of community service and payment of $500 restitution, as well as Harlins' funeral costs.[6][7] The sentencing was widely regarded as extremely light, with a failed appeal reportedly contributing to the 1992 Los Angeles riots.[8]
Events
Following the Rodney King verdict, Los Angeles police were unable to provide protection to many affected areas due to the overwhelming scale of the riots. Controversially, they opted instead to set up a defensive perimeter around the upper-class Beverly Hills and West Hollywood cities, cutting off Koreatown and abandoning other minority and low-income communities, leaving the Koreatown community to mostly fend for themselves.[9] In response, many Korean business owners and residents took matters into their own hands.[10]
Local Korean radio stations in Los Angeles put out a call to help Korean business owners, leading to volunteers arriving with their own firearms. The intersection of 5th Street and Western Avenue served as a flashpoint, where the California Market (also called Gaju or Kaju) Korean grocery store was a major point of conflict. Other locations that were defended by citizens with firearms, included 8th and Oxford, as well as Western and Third Street.[10]The Los Angeles Times stated there were multiple people on the roof of the grocery with "shotguns and automatic weapons".[2][6]Ebony magazine noted the use of "rifles and handguns."[11]
Because South Korea had at the time a thirty-month mandatory military service for males, it was noted that many Korean immigrants had experience with handling firearms.[12]
The actions of the rooftop Koreans sparked debates about gun control and vigilantism, while simultaneously spurring praise for the residents' bravery and resourcefulness.[13] Edward Song Lee, a Korean American was shot and killed mistakenly by his peers when protecting shops near 3rd street. Hector Castro, a Latino, was also fatally shot in Koreatown during the riots. Authorities could not determine who killed him, as both merchants and rioters were shooting in the area.[14]
Police were on "tactical alert", thus not responding to any calls from citizens. Order was not restored until President Bush invoked the Insurrection Act (declaring it an insurrection) deploying 15,000 troops. Order was restored almost immediately.[15]
Influence
The rooftop Koreans have been cited by gun rights advocates for the value of citizen ownership of firearms and "being your own first responder".[16][bettersourceneeded] In recent years, it has also been the subject of social media memes, contributing to ease of tensions with African American communities especially in the 2014 Ferguson unrest,[17] the emergence of Black Lives Matter, and the increased racial tensions around Stop Asian Hate.[12][13]
During the June 2025 Los Angeles protests, Donald Trump Jr., son of United States president Donald Trump, tweeted a photo of a Rooftop Korean captioned "Make Rooftop Koreans Great Again!" in reference to rioting and looting that occurred during the event. The Korean American Federation of Los Angeles repudiated Trump Jr's tweet, describing it as "mocking the current unrest" and urging that "the past trauma of the Korean people be never, ever exploited for any purpose." Hyungwon Kang, who shot the photograph while reporting on the 1992 riots, stated that Trump Jr. was "using the photo out of context," later consulting a lawyer when Trump Jr. proved unresponsive to requests to take down the post.[18]
According to Fox News, Tony Moon who was one of the rooftop Koreans during the 1992 Los Angeles riots claimed that the June 2025 riots "...are astroturfed for political purposes.". He described the 1992 riots as having (in a sense) an "organic" tension as agitation between Black and Korean communities had gradually arisen since the 1991 Killing of Latasha Harlins. According to Moon, "The sentiment was much different then than it is now," he said. "Now it's all manufactured. And not only that, but there's no true grassroots support from any of the communities. You know, it's what I would say [is] part two of BLM/Antifa from 2020 that's being carried over." Moon added, "But it doesn't have the same traction and support that it did back in 2020 with defunding the police, [and with] Black Lives Matter," he continued. "I don't see that, and what they're looking for is, they're looking for someone to martyr. They're looking for a death. They're looking for the next George Floyd." Moon concluded that while he was for peaceful protests, that vandalism and looting crossed a line. He then encouraged Angelenos who "feel unsafe" do what the rooftop Koreans did before and exercise their 2nd amendment right to defend themselves.[19]
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