Jung Koo Kang
Jung Koo Kang has been in Los Angeles, California for about 45 years. He began working in a sewing factory and later opened up his own factory. Mr. Kang and his wife worked incredibly for their business that the landlord noticed and asked Mr. Kang to take on three of his ten wholesale stores in the Garment District in order to help him further succeed as a young business owner. As Mr. Kang was heading back home from work one evening, he heard on the radio that riots had begun in South LA and were moving up to Koreatown. By the time he got home, the news was already broadcasting that the riots had reached Olympic Blvd.
After two to three days of unrest, people went to the scene and saw shattered glass, metal shutters torn off of stores, and even some people still looting stores. Although the community was feeling helpless, Mr. Kang recalls his pastor’s words emphasizing the importance of developing strong relationships with other communities and giving back. Keeping those words in mind, Mr. Kang got in touch with the LA Senior Citizens Society. He helped with their finances and even held office as president for a few years. Today, he leads the Hanmi Silver Club, a senior association he founded dedicated to building a community for retired Korean seniors.
Thank you to Koreatown Storytelling Program and Koreatown Youth and Community Center for hosting this Legacy Project video.