Korean American Group Condemns Trump Jr. Over “Rooftop Koreans” Post
The Korean American Federation of Los Angeles (KAFLA) has sharply criticized Donald Trump Jr. for a social media post deemed “reckless.” He shared a 1992 photograph—a man on a rooftop with a rifle during the LA riots—on X (formerly Twitter), captioning it: “Make Rooftop Koreans Great Again!”
KAFLA condemned the post for “mocking current unrest” and exploiting painful memories from the riots nearly 33 years ago, when Korean American business owners—and their families—armed themselves amid violent chaos due to insufficient police protection.
They stated that as a prominent public figure with approximately 15 million followers, Trump Jr.’s actions risk inflaming tensions in already volatile times.
The photo was captured by Hyungwon Kang, a photojournalist for the Los Angeles Times during the 1992 riots. He asserts the image was used without his permission and stripped of context. Kang emphasized that the current situation—protests opposing recent immigration enforcement—“is not even remotely similar to the dire situation for Korean Americans… during the 1992 L.A. Riots.”
He is exploring legal avenues after receiving no response from Trump Jr. regarding takedown requests.
The post surfaces amid heightened tensions in Los Angeles, where ICE has conducted federal immigration raids. KAFLA expressed concern that these enforcement operations—criticized for lacking due process—are harming Korean American-owned businesses and the wider immigrant community.
Beyond KOFLA’s critique, the incident has reinvigorated scrutiny over the ethics of public figures leveraging historical trauma. Legal and ethical questions are mounting—but Trump Jr. has not yet responded publicly. There’s no indication the picture has been removed.
