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Korea Herald
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
[Kim Seong-kon] S.W.A.T.: 'South Korean Weapons and Tactics'
Whenever I want to relax these days, I turn on the TV and watch a Netflix series titled "S.W.A.T." In its depiction of daily incidents in urban LA, the drama makes me brood over our turbulent past, ponder our present predicaments and reflect on the future awaiting our children's generation. The protagonist Hondo, a SWAT unit leader in LA, constantly wonders: 'Is it possible for me to bring change to the world in which I live? Can I make a better society by risking my life fighting vicious villains? Can I really change the system?' He agonizes over what kind of tactics he must adopt to make a better police department and a better world. SWAT stands for 'Special Weapons and Tactics' used to fight crime in our town, city and country. The drama "S.W.A.T." has caught my attention because each episode deals with various problems in LA, a city of the American Dream for immigrants, diverse ethnic minorities and multicultural neighborhoods. LA is also well known for its freeway, where you can enjoy 'this illusion of speed, freedom, wind in your hair, unreeling landscape,' as Thomas Pynchon described in his celebrated novel, 'The Crying of Lot 49.' In fact, Pynchon perceived that the LA freeway resembled the veins that nourish America, and if someone were to inject a hypodermic needle somewhere in them, Americans would experience hallucinations, hypnosis and paralysis. When it comes to LA, people might also think of the police brutality during the arrest of Rodney King in 1991 and the ensuing riots in 1992, which ignited racist disputes in the so-called 'City of Angels.' The Rodney King incident has consequently evoked a fundamental distrust between minorities and the LA police. In addition, LA suffers from a range of crimes, as do other big American cities. Furthermore, in the series, LA is an emblem of America and ultimately a microcosm of the contemporary world in which we now live. The first episode of the drama begins with the fatal mistake of a white SWAT unit leader. While pursuing a white male suspect, he accidentally shoots and wounds a young Black bystander. Naturally, the African American community is enraged and protests strongly against the police. As a result, the SWAT leader resigns from the police force. The authorities then decide to appoint a Black sergeant, Hondo, as the new leader of the SWAT unit in an effort to save face and pacify the anger of the African American community. In the process, they bypass Sgt. Deacon, the white officer who was initially the successor to the leader who resigned. Thus, the first episode evokes the issue of DEI. DEI, which stands for 'Diversity, Equity and Inclusion,' has become controversial in the US, where conservatives question its validity. However, Hondo exhibits strong leadership qualities, extraordinary competence and an admirable personality, apparently justifying DEI. The issues and problems that 'S.W.A.T.' is dealing with are uniquely American, but at the same time, they are universal. They include racism, prejudice, white supremacy, nationalism, drug smuggling, human trafficking and issues within LGBTQ+ communities. The TV show also highlights instances of 'Robin Hood' crime, in which people steal from the rich to give to the poor. Just as LA and America are depicted in the drama, South Korea is also now suffering from many accumulated internal problems and serious external crises. For example, putting an end to the polarity and division of our society is urgent, and so is overcoming antagonism, hate and hostility among our politicians. While investigating hate crimes against other races, SWAT officer Chris asks Hondo, 'Where do you think this comes from? All the hate?' Hondo replies, 'I don't know, Chris. For some people, it's just the easiest way to feel, and it's infectious.' Our current moment of political populism also stirs hate and impetuousness. Getting over that is therefore imperative to make our society better. Meanwhile, we must find or invent our own 'special weapons and tactics' to properly and swiftly cope with the international crises lurking in our path. One of the SWAT rules is 'Only move as fast as you can shoot and never lose your control.' We must keep this in mind when we deal with national or international emergencies. In addition, instead of short-term solutions, we must pursue and come up with long-term solutions. Indeed, as Hondo says, 'Sometimes a short-term solution just creates a long-term problem.' While watching "S.W.A.T.," it occurs to me that we, too, urgently need a quick-reacting 'South Korean Weapons and Tactics' task force to effectively deal with the problems we now face, both internal and external. We must have the best weapons and superb tactics to survive the current crises and thrive in the years to come.
Fox News
25-06-2025
- Fox News
Rodney King-era 'rooftop Korean' calls left-wing riots manufactured: 'looking for the next George Floyd'
A Los Angeles man who armed himself and took to the streets in 1992 to protect a local business during the height of the Rodney King unrest says today's rioters in the city are astroturfed for political purposes. Tony Moon, 53, is what is now known as a "rooftop Korean." Thirty-three years ago, the Korean-American, then 19, was asked to join a spontaneous movement alongside other Korean-Americans who armed themselves to protect their lives and property from being destroyed by violent rioters who were upset over the verdict in a trial against officers who beat Rodney King during a traffic stop. The officers were acquitted on charges of assault and excessive force, plunging the city into tumult as rioters attempted to burn down Los Angeles, causing 63 deaths and more than 2,000 injuries, according to the Los Angeles Times. Determined to protect their livelihoods, "rooftop Koreans" took to the streets – and to the rooftops of their own businesses – to deter rioters from causing trouble in their neighborhoods. "When the riots occurred, it wasn't anything that anyone foresaw obviously, but we were well aware of Rodney King and the verdict that was coming down," Moon told Fox News Digital. "And when that occurred is when everything kind of popped off. The reason why I went out was because a close and good friend of mine, his older brother had a stereo shop that was on the outskirts of near Koreatown." During the attack, Radio Korea became a go-to source of information for the Korean-American communities, alerting them to potential threats. "He called me Thursday evening after the radio announcement asking for volunteers to come to the community, to defend the community," Moon said. "And he told me that his brother's store might be threatened from the fires and the looting that was slowly traveling up north from the south, like South Central and South LA." Moon described a tense atmosphere, which he said had been building between the Black and Korean communities in the city since the fatal shooting of a Black girl by a Korean shop owner the year prior. The civil unrest at that time, Moon said, was organic. "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." "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 emphasized his support for peaceful protest, but said that when damaging property, vandalization and looting occur, those activities cross the line. He also advised Angelenos who feel unsafe due to violent crime to do what he and others in the Korean-American community did more than three decades ago: arm themselves. "If it's a riot or if there's any sort of mayhem, social chaos going on in your neighborhood, invest in firearms," he said. "I mean, support the Second Amendment. Buy a gun, buy a rifle. I mean, the most easiest weapon to shoot is a shotgun. So invest in something like that and learn how to shoot it and be proficient with it, so that way it becomes part of your defense, whether it's for your home or your business." Earlier this month riots plagued Los Angeles, a so-called sanctuary city, since a series of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sweeps targeting criminal illegal immigrants. Federal law enforcement and police clashed with rioters in the city's streets, while those agitators burned cars, looted businesses, took over streets and graffitied buildings in the heart of downtown Los Angeles with anti-ICE and anti-Trump messaging. The city's mayor, Karen Bass, has blamed President Donald Trump for causing the unrest by deploying National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to protect federal property, and Gov. Gavin Newsom sued the Trump administration for the move. The Trump administration ordered 2,000 more members of the National Guard to the city last week, and ICE will continue conducting operations in the city.
The Hill
16-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
LA riot coverage shows the media's Biden ‘miss' wasn't a miss at all — they just lie
If you still need proof that the media never intended to tell you the truth about former President Joe Biden's physical and mental decline, look no further than their coverage of the riots in Los Angeles. These people have no problem lying right to your face — insisting that you doubt the evidence before your own eyes and instead believe their preferred version of events. There is plenty of photo and video evidence showcasing the violent unrest in Los Angeles — everything from cars set ablaze to rioters hurling chunks of concrete at law enforcement officers and their vehicles. An unlawful assembly was declared within hours of when the violence first broke out way back on June 6 — more than a week ago, when the rioters and arsonists initially clashed with federal officers. City law enforcement officials deployed tear gas and other crowd control methods that evening in an attempt to disperse the mob. Not long afterward, Los Angeles issued a citywide tactical alert, alerting the city's officers of an all-hands event. Note that all of this occurred before President Trump had called up the National Guard. In the early morning of June 8, after two days of escalation, the first National Guard troops arrived on the scene. Trump later called in the U.S. Marines to protect federal properties, which had already been attacked and vandalized. The city's comically inept mayor, Karen Bass, imposed a curfew and declared a local emergency on June 10. Despite the timeline, major media are going out of their way to downplay and dismiss the violence. They are trying to frame the narrative, maintaining simultaneously that the riots are 'largely peaceful' and that Trump somehow tricked the rioters into their violent and lawless behavior (notice the contradiction?) by sending in the troops days after they had started rioting. It hasn't even been a year since journalists tried to convince you that Biden was 'sharp and focused.' They are already back to lying — telling you to ignore the evidence before your eyes and accept some version of time-travel that allows their narrative to make sense, that Trump somehow provoked the rioters to riot days after they had started rioting. The Associated Press attempted to downplay the violence by highlighting a more violent historical example: 'LA protests far different from '92 Rodney King riots.' Well, yeah — and United Flight 93 wasn't as deadly as Flights 11 and 175. But that's not really the point, is it? 'Offline, in real-world Los Angeles, most Angelenos are having a perfectly normal day,' wrote self-appointed media ombudsman and CNN analyst Brian Stelter. 'But online, the fires and riots are still raging. Seeking clicks, clout and chaos, unvetted social media accounts are preying on fears about where last weekend's clashes will lead. … [T]he powerful algorithms that fuel social media platforms are feeding users days-old and sometimes completely fake content about the recent unrest in L.A., contributing to a sense of non-stop crisis.' Stelter complained elsewhere that people have been getting a false impression of the riots because of 'hours-old' video — one hell of a claim, considering how much mileage we got out of five-year-old footage of the January 2021 Capitol riot. On June 10, the day Bass imposed a curfew and declared a local emergency, PBS reported on the ground, '[T]he scene here has been pretty quiet, almost festival-like … Of course, we mentioned some looting, but, in general, last night was pretty nonviolent … Also keep in mind that this is happening in a very small slice of the city. It's only a few blocks of downtown L.A., and in the rest of the city, Angelenos are going about their lives as normal.' We might as well say that nearly all of Iran was not bombed the other day — it's just as true. At ABC News, there has been praise for the rioters' supposed self-control, with reporter Mary Bruce alleging, 'We've witnessed many of the protesters self-policing, keeping others in check.' On Wednesday, NBC News' Liz Kreutz attempted to extinguish the idea that L.A. was on fire. 'You could be in Santa Monica or another part of LA and not even feel the impact of these protests,' she said. 'They are very much concentrated [to] a very small pocket of downtown LA, around the federal building, around City Hall.' 'And we should say there are some agitators and people that have been really instigating things with police,' she added. 'But for the most part, especially during the day, many of the protesters gathering have been peaceful.' At the New Yorker, an editorial cartoon featured the caption, 'The protesters seem to be doing some sort of joyful synchronized dance. Is it time to call in the Marines?' The New York Times, meanwhile, took a more predictable line, publishing an article that opined the debate has been flooded with dis- and misinformation. This is true, but the Times gives the game away when it focuses exclusively on 'nutpicking' pro-Trump right-wingers while giving a pass to those who lie or misinform to downplay what has been happening. 'Fake Images and Conspiracy Theories Swirl Around L.A. Protests,' read the headline, its subhead adding, 'Disinformation spreading on social media platforms has stoked an already tense situation.' The article mentions actor James Woods. It quotes a university professor who alleges right-wingers are 'building up the riots in a performative way' to help support Trump's claims that Los Angeles had been taken over by 'violent, insurrectionist mobs.' The report mentions a viral photo of bricks, which was falsely cited as evidence that the riots are well-organized and funded. The article references Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.). It references anti-George Soros conspiracies. It quotes another university egghead who asserts that things such as the bogus bricks claim are 'catnip for right-wing agitators and grifters.' The article also suggests the Russians may be involved in spreading false narratives regarding the riots. Oddly missing from the report are mentions of Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), who risibly claimed on June 10 that there had been 'no violence' in Los Angeles before the National Guard was called up. The article fails to mention a June 7 viral video, which claims to showcase a Los Angeles school worker's 'frustration over parents having to leave their children's graduation ceremony because ICE raided an elementary school's graduation today.' That video was an outright lie, and it has garnered eight million views — far more than any falsehood cited in the Times's reporting. The Times article has not been updated to include ABC's Jimmy Kimmel telling his 1.5 million primetime viewers on June 11, during which a curfew was in place and an unlawful assembly declared, that 'There's no riot outside.' Nor does the Times article mention when the hosts of 'The View,' which is part of ABC's news division, falsely claimed, '[It has] been peaceful for days, and then suddenly these guys showed up and flipped everybody out,' and 'These protests were very, very orderly, they weren't violent, and they occurred in about a four-block radius.' The Times apparently couldn't be bothered to track these falsehoods. It is too busy publishing stories with headlines such as, 'Not Far From Tense Clashes, Life Goes on in L.A.,' and subheads such as, 'Trump officials have cast demonstrators waving the Mexican flag as insurrectionists, but for many protesters who are Mexican American, the flag represents pride in their heritage.' Amusingly, the Times has also been running overly defensive pieces, including one which falsely described the riots as 'largely peaceful' not once or twice, but three times. Perhaps most laughable of all is the Los Angeles-based ABC News reporter who said at the outset of the riots, 'It could turn very volatile if you move law enforcement in there in the wrong way, and turn what is just a bunch of people having fun watching cars burn into a massive confrontation and altercation between officers and demonstrators.' On June 9, an amateur videographer captured footage of protesters hurling cinder blocks from an overpass onto California Highway Patrol officers below. The footage shows one officer being struck directly in the skull, knocking his helmet off and splitting his head open. He is seen later surrounded by his colleagues, his face drenched in blood spurting from the fresh wound. The media have a serious problem. As far as the Biden story is concerned, and all the recent attempts to explain how they 'missed it' or were 'tricked' into believing the former president was sharp as a tack, it is all self-serving baloney. Their halfhearted defenses are pure theater. It is CYA mode of the highest order. These people have no problem lying right to your face, and they are showing it once again. They only care that they can get away with it. Becket Adams is program director of the National Journalism Center at the Young America's Foundation.
Fox News
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
LA Mayor Bass downplays anti-ICE riots as limited to small part of city, says 'zero comparison' to 1992 unrest
Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass says what is happening in her city does not compare to the 1992 Rodney King riots that followed the acquittal of white police officers who were videotaped beating the Black motorist. Despite a growing list of arrests, tens of thousands of people taking to the streets and curfew put in place, Bass told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday that this is nothing like what happened more than 30 years ago. "There is zero comparison," Bass told host Dana Bash. "I was at the epicenter when it was occurring." "It was a citywide civil unrest," she continued. "It was the nation's worst in terms of the most costly, the number of people died, the number of people arrested. There is no comparison. And unfortunately, that is what is being pushed, as though the city is in chaos, there's civil unrest everywhere. For most Angelenos, they're like, what city are they describing? They are definitely not describing Los Angeles." Bass said the anti-ICE riots are occurring within one to two square miles of a city that is 500 square miles. While speaking with Bash, she acknowledged that both police officers and rioters were injured during the unrest. The mayor criticized ICE raids for their economic impact, noting the construction, fashion and restaurant industries. "The disruption and the fear that has been caused by the raids has really had a devastating effect and has been a bodyblow to our economy. I don't think the president understands that we have entire sectors of our economy that cannot function without immigrant labor," she said. On Saturday, the scene took a turn from peaceful to violent as rising unrest spurred police to deploy tear gas. "The demonstration has taken the street. A DISPERSAL ORDER has been issued for all persons located on Alameda south of Aliso and North of Temple to immediately leave the area," the LAPD wrote in a warning on X. "People in the crowd are throwing rocks, bricks, bottles and other objects. Less lethal has been approved. Less lethal may cause discomfort and pain. It is advised that all persons leave the area," another alert read.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A repeat of Rodney King? Local leaders say L.A.'s latest unrest is nothing like 1992
The clashes between National Guard troops, police and protesters in recent days have evoked memories for some Angelenos of the deadly riots that erupted after LAPD officers were acquitted of brutally assaulting Black motorist Rodney King in 1992. But leaders who were involved in dealing with the uprising more than three decades ago say what has unfolded with President Trump's deployment of soldiers to Los Angeles and surrounding communities bears no resemblance to the coordinated response that took place then. 'It's not even close,' said former LAPD chief and city councilman Bernard Parks, who was a deputy chief in the police department during the 1992 unrest. 'You get a sense that this is all theatrics, and it is really trying to show a bad light on Los Angeles, as though people are overwhelmed." The chaos of 1992 unfolded after four LAPD officers who were videotaped beating King the prior year were not convicted. It took place at a time of deep distrust and animosity between minority communities and the city's police department. Federal troops and California National Guard units joined forces with local law enforcement officers to quell the turmoil, but not without harrowing results. More than 60 people were killed, thousands were injured and arrested, and there was property damage that some estimate exceeded $1 billion. What has played out recently on the city's streets is significantly more limited in scope, Mayor Karen Bass said. 'There was massive civil unrest [then]. Nothing like that is happening here,' Bass said on CNN on Sunday. 'So there is no need for there to be federal troops on our ground right now.' As of Wednesday evening, several hundred people had been arrested or detained because of their alleged actions during the protests, or taken into custody by federal officials because of their immigration status. On Tuesday, after the 101 Freeway was blocked by protesters, buildings in downtown Los Angeles were vandalized and businesses ransacked, Bass imposed a curfew in the city's civic core from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. that is expected to last several days. Read more: Bass enacts curfew in downtown L.A. to stem chaotic protests Zev Yaroslavsky, who served on the City Council in 1992, recalled that year as "one of the most significant, tragic events in the city's history." He described the riots as "a massive citywide uprising," with "thousands of people who were on the streets in various parts of the city, some burning down buildings." Yaroslavsky, who was later on the county Board of Supervisors for two decades, said that while some actions protesters are currently taking are inappropriate, the swath of Los Angeles impacted is a small sliver of a sprawling city. "All you're seeing is what is happening at 2nd and Alameda," he said. "There's a whole other city, a whole other county that is going about its business." Another significant distinction from 1992, according to people who lived through it, was the bipartisan coordination among local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Gov. Pete Wilson, a Republican, and Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley requested assistance from then-President George H.W. Bush. That's a stark contrast from what started unfolding last week, when Trump's administration sent ICE agents to Los Angeles and federalized the state's National Guard without request by the state's governor, which last happened in the United States in the 1960s. "The biggest difference is that the governor requested federal help rather than having it imposed over his objection," said Dan Schnur, a political professor and veteran strategist who served as Wilson's communication's director in 1992. "There were some political tensions between state and local elected officials. But both the governor and the mayor set those aside very quickly, given the urgency of the situation." Loren Kaye, Wilson's cabinet secretary at the time, noted times have changed since then. "What I'm worried about is that there aren't the same incentives for resolving the contention in this situation as there were in '92," he said. Then, "everyone had incentives to resolve the violence and the issues. It's just different. The context is different." Parks, a Democrat, argued that the lack of federal communication with California and Los Angeles officials inflamed the situation by creating a lag in local law enforcement response that made the situation worse. 'You have spontaneous multiple events, which is the Achilles heel of any operation,' he said. 'It's not that they're ill-equipped, and it's not that they're under-deployed,' Parks said. 'It takes a minute. You just don't have a large number of people idly sitting there saying, okay, we are waiting for the next event, and particularly if it's spontaneous.' Protests can start peacefully, but those who wish to create chaos can use the moment to seek attention, such as by burning cars, Park said. The end result is images viewed by people across the country who don't realize how localized the protests and how limited the damage was in recent days. 'The visuals they show on TV are exactly what the folks in Washington want to be seen,' Parks said. On Monday, the president deployed hundreds of Marines from Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms. State leaders have asked for a temporary restraining order blocking the military and state National Guard deployments, which is expected to be heard in federal court on Thursday. Read more: California asks court for restraining order to block Guard, U.S. Marine deployments in L.A. Trump, speaking to U.S. Army troops at Ft. Bragg in North Carolina on Tuesday, said that he deployed National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles 'to protect federal law enforcement from the attacks of a vicious and violent mob.' The president descried protesters as leftists pursuing a "foreign invasion" of the United States, bent on destroying the nation's sovereignty. 'If we didn't do it, there wouldn't be a Los Angeles," Trump said. "It would be burning today, just like their houses were burning a number of months ago." Newsom responded that the president was intentionally provoking protesters. 'Donald Trump's government isn't protecting our communities — they're traumatizing our communities,' Newsom said. 'And that seems to be the entire point.' Read more: Newsom, in California address, says Trump purposely 'fanned the flames' of L.A. protests Activists who witnessed the 1992 riots said the current turmoil, despite being much smaller and less violent, is viewed differently because of images and video seen around the world on social media as well as the plethora of cable outlets that didn't exist previously. "They keep looping the same damn video of a car burning. It gives the impression cars are burning everywhere, businesses are being looted everywhere," said Earl Ofari Hutchinson, president of the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable. Hutchinson, an activist from South L.A. who raised money to rebuild businesses during the 1992 riots, said he was concerned about the city's reputation. "L.A. is getting a bad name," he said. Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter. Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond, in your inbox twice per week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
