Seoul: The Korean American Federation of Los Angeles has strongly condemned Donald Trump Jr. for what it described as a “reckless” and “insensitive” social media post invoking memories of the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The organization called on him to refrain from exploiting past traumas that deeply affected the Korean American community.
Donald Trump Jr., son of U.S. President Donald Trump, posted a photo on X (formerly Twitter) showing a man holding a rifle on a rooftop, accompanied by the caption: “Make Rooftop Koreans Great Again!” The phrase alludes to Korean American shopkeepers who defended their businesses during the 1992 riots by arming themselves and taking positions on rooftops.
In a statement issued Monday in Los Angeles, the federation criticized Trump Jr.’s post as “mocking the current unrest” and exploiting a painful historical episode. “While the unrest has not yet subsided, Donald Trump Jr. … showed the recklessness of posting a post on X on Sunday, June 8, mocking the current unrest by mentioning the ‘Rooftop Korean’ from the LA riots 33 years ago,” the federation said.
It added, “As the eldest son of the current president and an influencer with approximately 15 million followers, his actions could pose a huge risk in these icy times, and we strongly urge the past trauma of the Korean people be never, ever exploited for any purpose.”
The 1992 riots erupted after the acquittal of four police officers involved in the brutal beating of Rodney King, a Black motorist. Amid the chaos and law enforcement’s failure to protect their neighborhoods, some Korean Americans armed themselves and defended their properties—an episode that later gained notoriety under the term “Rooftop Koreans.”
Hyungwon Kang, a photojournalist who worked for the Los Angeles Times during the 1992 riots, said the photo used by Trump Jr. was taken by him and shared without his permission. “You’re using the photo out of context. Please take it down,” Kang posted in a direct response to Trump Jr. on X.
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Kang further elaborated in an email to Reuters, explaining that his photograph portrayed a scene from a time when law enforcement had effectively abandoned certain areas of Los Angeles, leaving Korean Americans vulnerable and forcing them to take security into their own hands. “(The) current situation of people expressing a widespread disagreement about an excessive and aggressive enforcement by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, while LAPD is present and keeping the city in order is not even remotely similar to the dire situation for Korean Americans of those dark hours during the 1992 L.A. Riots,” he stated.
Kang said he had received no response from Trump Jr. and is now seeking legal counsel.
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Separately, the Korean American Federation also expressed alarm at recent federal immigration enforcement operations, describing them as lacking transparency and legal due process. The crackdown, they said, has significantly disrupted Korean American-owned businesses in the area.
No official comment has yet been issued by the White House in response to the backlash surrounding the post.
