I Became the Youngest Daughter of a Chaebol Family

[What was LAPD Chief Daryl Gates doing when the riot broke out?]

[Heavily armed Korean Americans defend themselves... Heated debate over right to protection]

A stack of papers piled high.

Lawsuits filed against LAPD (City of Los Angeles Police Department), legal documentation concerning those suits... and various appendices interpreting Anglo-American law.

I had lived in the U.S. for quite some time, so I was familiar with the common law system, but due to the time zone differences, it helped to have these materials on hand.

‘Looking at it now, there are holes everywhere... There’s a lot to dig into.’

As I salivated over the legal loopholes, a familiar voice rang out.

“...Things are getting bigger than expected.”

Ha Yeong-il, who was managing both Alpha Fund and the LA riot situation, looked absolutely exhausted...

Well, let him suffer a bit. Everyone’s working hard, after all.

“That’s a good thing. If it’s on this scale, we can deepen our ties with the law firm even more, right?”

Insurance companies estimated the total damages at around $700 million. Of that, about $400 million was believed to be damage suffered by the Korean community.

That’s a pretty serious amount. If someone asked me to cough up $400 million, I’d bash their skull in.

Normally, they wouldn’t offer any compensation. Even if insurance existed, riot-related damages are usually not covered... and the state government can’t afford to pay that much either.

The most reliable way would be to track down every rioter who caused property damage and sue them for it... but like that’s ever going to happen.

“Do you have any ideas for how we could go about this?”

I shook my head.

“If I knew that, I’d be a lawyer.”

That’s what the law firm is for, after all.

***

May 3rd. After making contact with LA’s Korean community and gaining rough control, we visited the law firm.

“We’ve estimated the damage at around $400 million... Do you think we can get compensation?”

John Quinn, the representative of Quinn Emanuel, smiled and nodded.

“Ah, of course, sir. I didn’t expect one of the directors of the famous Alpha Fund to show up in person.”

He looked quietly pleased, as if welcoming an important guest. Though he held himself back out of respect for the riot victims.

“I did study in the U.S., but one’s roots are still one’s roots, you know? There’s some sentiment attached... And I have acquaintances who suffered during the riots.”

“Ooh, that makes sense. By the way, I’ve heard Alpha Fund already has a legal advisory partnership—may I ask why you’ve come to our firm instead?”

Fair question. Ha Yeong-il’s current title was Director. Other than the figurehead CEO I’d put in place, he was the highest-ranking person.

Of course, as a newly formed company, the organizational chart was still loosely defined and fluid, but to outsiders, he was the top representative.

He could pull in the legal advisory team privately if needed.

“Haha, I just wanted a little distance from the company on this one. Also... your firm has a different specialty, doesn’t it? Alpha Fund’s legal advisors don’t have much experience with class action suits.”

The representative nodded with a warm smile.

“Indeed. You’ve come to the right place, sir.”

Wearing a suit for the first time in a while, I returned his handshake with a charming business smile.

“I’m here representing a friend who was a victim of the riots. I may not have much to offer from a professional standpoint... but I’d like to gain some experience.”

It was a slightly impolite line—something that could offend if the listener were sensitive.

But he stayed professional, keeping a smile as he asked,

“Ah, I see. Considering that the fund manager here isn’t from LA... are you perhaps representing the Korean community?”

“You could say that. I’m not from LA either, but... my friend’s family and mine are fairly influential within Koreatown.”

It was the 1990s. Most people in Koreatown were first- or second-generation immigrants from Korea.

The biggest reason they were able to form vigilante groups during the riots was because they had experienced Korea’s conscription system and the Vietnam War—Koreatown’s atmosphere wasn’t far off from Korea itself.

That’s why, unlike most Americans, people in Koreatown were easily overwhelmed if they heard you were from the owner family of a chaebol like Daehwa Group.

‘Yep, having a big name really makes things easier.’

I just had to yell a bit that the daughter of a chaebol family nearly died here, and even gangsters backed off.

The law firm, thorough in its duties, had done its homework on the Korean community and knew this well.

“Ha-yeon Yoo... Ah, I see. That’s Daehwa Group, the company heating up the semiconductor market these days, right?”

“Ahaha, I’m glad I came here. That’s right, I’m from Daehwa Group.”

It really was fun talking to sharp people. Right now, unless you had a particular interest in semiconductors or Asia, Daehwa wasn’t even that well known.

This showed just how thorough he was about the incident. To gather that much information in just a day, in a time without internet...

“Korea’s a civil law country, if I’m not mistaken... Do you understand the difference between common law and civil law?”

“Common law is based on case precedent and unwritten law... while civil law is based on written statutes. That’s why this case is so important. There’s almost no precedent, after all...”

Even in civil law countries like Korea, you still have to memorize precedents to study law. Some rulings are conservative just because they might set precedent.

But in the U.S., where common law is dominant, case precedent is emphasized far more than in Korea. Obviously, this case had a lot riding on it, and the prestige I could earn from being involved would be enormous.

“Oh, you’re more knowledgeable than I expected. Then I’ll keep the explanation brief.”

Nodding slightly at me, the representative began explaining the case.

“You probably aren’t interested in criminal law or prosecuting individual police officers, correct?”

“Yes, since I’m representing the Korean community, not the Black community. Personally, I’d like to protest everything, but we’ll only seek compensation ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) for property damage.”

That was a line Ha Yeong-il didn’t really mean. Honestly, we just wanted to milk the situation for money while we were at it.

Even a portion of $400 million—how much would that be?

“There are three main ways to receive compensation. First, by preparing the proper insurance claims and filing with insurance companies. Second, by having the riot declared a national disaster and applying for disaster relief. Third, by suing the state government for negligence in protection.”

“The first one’s probably not viable.”

“Right. Unless there are proper documents related to the Korean-owned stores...”

Usually, because of tax evasion, Korean store owners underreported their inventory. It wasn’t like everyone in Koreatown was a model citizen.

That meant that even if they filed the compensation claims properly, it was unlikely they’d get everything back.

“The second method also seems too late, given how things are developing. So the only viable option left is the third.”

The representative agreed.

“First off... there’s a solid legal basis. If we can legally prove that police protection was lacking, we can invoke Title 42, Section 1983 of the U.S. Code to assert civil rights violations. Since it’s a class action, we just need to appoint a representative... and invoke the Equal Protection Clause and public safety responsibilities.”

“The problem is proving it legally... and the media.”

The media at the time was turning against the Korean community. Understandable—it was a clash between the closed-off Korean society and the mainstream white police.

Understanding that, the representative pointed to a few key items as he spoke.

“Exactly. That part will have to be handled in state court. Fortunately, the judge currently handling this is affiliated with the Democratic Party, so if we prepare well, we should be able to win most of the compensation. And if we file individual claims for property damage... diligent taxpayers might get even more.”

A judge from the Democratic Party...

I paused in thought.

Democrats tend to oppose racism more aggressively than Republicans, but... something about it still made me uneasy.

Let me recall what I knew about the LA riots.

Thinking back to what I’d heard while living in the U.S., there might be a better approach...

‘Ah, that’s right.’

“...Mr. Quinn, if I remember correctly, California state courts have a judge recusal system. I believe for civil lawsuits, you’re allowed to request one without condition?”

“Pardon? Ah, yes, that system does exist. But the judge assigned to this case is quite fair... If we file for recusal, the next judge will likely be a Republican, though?”

“There’s the gun issue.”

The Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

The clause that guarantees the right of the people to bear arms...

A clause that anti-gun regulation advocates chew on like old bones—honestly not one I personally liked...

But if it can be used, I’ll use it.