Project K-Town

Korea-Town is a city located just north of Downtown Los Angeles. It is home to more than 116, 460 individuals who all come from diverse backgrounds. the majority of the population being from Hispanic (52.8 percent) or Asian (33.5) backgrounds. the Annual household income of Korea-Town is approximately at 36,883. Because of the Covid-19 Pandemic, Workers from all walks of life are facing unpaid time-off, overwork conditions, and uncertainty of what health insurance can provide if they contract Covid-19.

Koreatown was established in the 1970s when Koreans began to immigrate to Los Angeles and established their own ethnic enclave. Many Koreans became business owners and established their own organizations, culture, and government. The 1990s consisted of racial tensions between Koreans and other minority groups which resulted in violence during the 1992 riots. One organization that was created out of this problem was the Korean Immigrant Workers Alliance. Koreatown is made up mostly by Koreans and Latinos and race relations have improved since then. Since the early 2000s, Koreatown has gone through many different economic and social changes and face greater ones in the future in regards to the coronavirus crisis.

• The current population of Koreatown is 116,460.
• The median property value in 2017 was $561,800.
• The current ethnic background breakdown is Latinos, 53.5%; Asians, 32.2%; whites, 7.4%; blacks, 4.8%, and others, 2%.
• As of 2020, close to 600 residents in Koreatown are unhoused.
• In Los Angeles as of April 8, 5,542 Covid-19 tests have been conducted and 4,921 individuals have been tested positive for coronavirus.
• As of April 8, there are 38 individuals confirmed in Koreatown to have been tested positive for coronavirus.

Due to COVID-19, the workers in the Koreatown are now at risk to exposure to the pandemic. Health insurance will now play a much more critical part in making sure workers will stay healthy and remain safe if infected. The map below illustrates Koreatown and the surrounding hospitals, healthcare centers, healthcare offices, immunization centers, as well as confirmed cases.

• The neighborhood of Koreatown has a diverse economy with a workforce of more than 55,000 workers with the leading industries in the community being Restaurant & Food Services which employs more than 10,000 workers.
• The next industry is the cut and sewing manufacturers which employ more than 3,000 workers.
• Construction projects come third with more than 2,500 workers.
• The highest paying jobs in Koreatown however are in the financial sector which can offer a starting salary of $100,000 or more.

• There are a range of different jobs in Koreatown but the most common jobs are Cooks, Janitors and Building Cleaners, and Cashiers.
• There are more than 3,000 cooks in Koreatown.
• Janitors and Building cleaners make up a labor force of more than 2,500 employees.
• In Koreatown, there are over 2,100 cashiers servicing the neighborhood.
• The map below illustrates the different restaurants, bars, cafes, grocery stores, and confirmed Covid-19 cases in and around Koreatown.

• The neighborhood of Koreatown has around 55,000 employees
• Median household income: $36,883

• The largest employment by industries in K-Town are Restaurants and Food Services.
• Does this play a factor in the poverty rate? Yes...

LARGEST RACE OR ETHNICITY LIVING IN POVERTY

1. Hispanic 18,502 ± 987
2. White 8,247 ± 622
3. Asian 6,887 ± 549