LA Consulate General’s National Inspection Service points out security issues in Koreatown… “We need to cooperate with local police.”

Request for the ruling and opposition parties to speak with one voice… Democratic Party lawmakers call for “increasing Korean voter turnout in the U.S. presidential election”

Government audit held at the LA Consulate General

(Los Angeles = Yonhap News) Correspondent Mina Lim = At the National Assembly audit of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee held at the Consulate General in Los Angeles on the 19th (local time). [email protected] 2024.10.20

(Los Angeles = Yonhap News) Correspondent Mina Lim = During the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee’s audit of the Consulate General in Los Angeles (LA) and the Consulate General in San Francisco in the western United States, lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties unanimously pointed out that security issues in LA’s Koreatown and other areas should be improved. did it

At the National Assembly audit held at the Consulate General in LA on the 19th (local time), Chairman Kim Seok-ki of the Foreign Affairs Committee, a member of the People Power Party, said, “LA and San Francisco have a total of 1 million Korean residents and are areas with a large number of tourists and visitors from Korea, but compared to Korea, “If you do that, public security is very bad,” he said, adding, “It is very important to solve this problem.”

Chairman Kim then asked the two heads of missions, “How many times have you invited the local police chief to the (consul general) residence?”

To this, Consul General Kim Young-wan of LA responded, “I called two or three times,” and Consul General Lim Jeong-taek of San Francisco said, “I haven’t had one yet.”

Then, Chairman Kim said, “Public security is a matter that requires cooperation from the authorities in charge, so the consuls general should frequently invite local police commanders to their official residence.” He continued, “The consul general kept telling the police director, ‘Please pay attention to these issues and cooperate.’ “It’s the most effective way to do it,” he emphasized.

Lee Yong-seon, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, also said, “When I visited Koreatown in LA this time, I saw a lot of homeless people, so I felt the difficulty of security issues, and I felt that the entire commercial district was stagnant or declining.” He added, “When security is unstable, commercial districts are activated and revitalized.” “As this is difficult, the consulate general needs a response plan,” he pointed out.

Jo Jeong-sik, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, also said, “I think we need to continue to emphasize the issue of security for Korean residents. There is an issue that requires cooperation with the local police, and we need to communicate more closely with the local government and authorities and carry out improvement and purification activities in the environment around Koreatown.” “I will do it,” he said.

Consul General Kim Young-wan of Los Angeles and Consul General Lim Jeong-taek of San Francisco take oaths during the National Assembly inspection.

(Los Angeles = Yonhap News) Correspondent Lim Mina = LA Consul General Kim Young-wan (left) and San Francisco Consul General Lim Jeong-taek (second from left) are taking the oath at the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee audit held at the Consulate General in Los Angeles on the 19th (local time). [email protected] 2024.10.20

Democratic Party member Jeong-ae Han said, “It was an extremely inappropriate situation,” referring to the case of Yang Yong, a Korean who was shot and killed by police in LA last May after requesting assistance from authorities in transporting him to a treatment facility due to symptoms of mental illness. He then asked how the Consulate General at the time helped.

Consul General Kim Young-wan of LA responded, “From the beginning of the incident, we asked the LAPD Commissioner to conduct a fair investigation and continued to provide consular assistance thereafter,” adding, “We are currently in the legal litigation stage between the bereaved family and the LAPD (Police Department).”

Opposition members of the Foreign Affairs Committee called for measures to be developed to increase the political influence of the Korean community by increasing the voting rate of Koreans in the upcoming US presidential election in November.

Wi Sang-rak, a member of the Democratic Party, emphasized, “If we create a system in which the Korean community can have a national organization and even provide political support, wouldn’t we be able to increase our structural influence?” He added, “The first thing we can do right now is to increase voter turnout.”

Commissioner Jo Jeong-sik also said, “The US presidential election period is an important opportunity to enhance the political power of the Korean community.” He added, “During election time, the groups that vote are the most fearful. The Korean community in LA, Orange County, and San Francisco is actively voting. “Please try to participate,” he asked.

On the other hand, Kim Ki-hyun, a member of the People Power Party, pointed out, “Our compatriots who have American citizenship may be linked to the internal affairs of the U.S. government in the process of exercising their right to vote, so we must keep these things in mind to avoid diplomatic problems.”

In addition, Commissioner Kim said, “We must strive to reflect our country’s development history and strengths in world history,” and urged that a plan be found to include content about our history in school textbooks in California, the central region of the United States.

In addition, members of the Foreign Affairs and Trade Committee requested the San Francisco Consulate General to expand professional and systematic support for Korean companies, including startups entering the local market.