Overview of Koreatown

Photo taken by Matt Marriott

What makes Koreatown in central Los Angeles so vibrant is its fusion of entrepreneurialism, authentic cultural identities and genuine camaraderie. Despite its name, the majority of Koreatown’s residents have been historically and presently Hispanic (around 50%) and Asian (around 30% -and out of the Asian population, almost 70% hail from Korea). Also notable is how this multiracial and multilingual enclave of nearly 115,000 people live within 2.9 square miles -an area half the size of LAX airport. This makes Koreatown 1.5 times more concentrated than the population density of New York City and LA County’s most dense neighborhood. 

Flanked between downtown Los Angeles, East Hollywood and ritzier West Los Angeles, Koreatown’s residents live in an in-between world of commercial offices and mom and pop businesses, glass buildings and historical buildings, and -as of 2020- the highest concentration of nightclubs, 24-hour businesses and restaurants in the country. Due to its prime location and demand for high-end and high-rise developments, Koreatown, for the past decade, has had a story arc achingly familiar to many gentrified communities. 22.2% of Koreatown’s residents live below the poverty line and the median household income hovers over $43,000 (which is half California’s median household income and two-thirds the national median). As a result, the working-class and immigrant families of Koreatown have faced escalating rent, eviction rates and gentrification by developers and landlords looking to attract wealthier newcomers. 

Photo from Curbed Los Angeles

Koreatown is more than a piece of real estate. It is a historical and cultural home for its residents who fought to sustain and protect their community. The history of Koreatown traces back to 1902, when Korean independence activist Dosan Ahn Chang Ho and his wife, Hye Ryeon (Helen) immigrated to the United States. A year after their arrival, the first wave of Korean immigrants settled in Hawaii and throughout Southern California. The budding community was centered around faith and food: one of the first and oldest establishments of Koreatown are Korean-speaking churches and grocery stores. Fast forward to 1980, the immense efforts of businessman Lee Hi Duk helped make Koreatown an officially recognized neighborhood by Los Angeles County. However, much of the hard-won livelihoods of Koreatown were destroyed by the LA Riots; it had to be slowly rebuilt by the children of the business owners who invested into reconstructing and resuscitating Koreatown.

The legacy of Koreatown is not in its skyrocketing property value and being in line with the global spread of Korean entertainment. It was, and should remain, its collaborative and aspirational spirit, rich cultural heritages, historical significance and that it was first and foremost, a home.