The number of crimes committed in 1999 at Korean-owned grocery and liquor markets in South Central Los Angeles, dropped from the previous year, but racial relations between the owners and customers did not improve, according to a recent survey of Korean shop owners.
The survey of 112 store owners by the Korean American Coalition and the Korean American Grocers Association, shows that 25 percent of the merchants were victims of crimes at their businesses in 1999. In 1998, 53 percent of the respondents said they experienced crimes on their premises.
But in race relations, 49 percent of the respondents said that in 1999 they had conflicts with customers because of racial differences. In 1998, 48 percent of the business owners said they suffered racial conflicts, according to the survey.
About one third of the respondents said they are experiencing racial conflict almost every day.