Your House Will Pay

Almost six months after Jung-Ja Han’s trial, the state appeals court backs the judge’s decision. A week later, on April 29, 1992, the cops who beat Rodney King are found not guilty, and the Los Angeles uprising begins. During the rioting, Figueroa Liquor Mart is set on fire, and young Shawn, who is now 14, watches it burn down with his cousin Ray. Unsatisfied, Shawn and Ray break into Frank’s Liquor by throwing a concrete brick through the window. Inside, the Korean owner Frank points a gun at them. Then, he recognizes Shawn and lowers the gun.

Shawn is too angry to recognize Frank’s attempts at condolences for his sister Ava. Instead, Shawn unfairly accuses Frank of causing Ava’s death. Ray asks why the Koreans are in their neighborhood, why Koreans are in America at all. Frank replies that he is not a rich man, that he works hard to make a living and despite that, his friends have been dying since Ava was killed. During the conversation, more young Black men walk in. They are Baring Cross Crips who know Ray and Shawn. One of them pulls a gun on Frank and forces him to leave the store. They loot the store, but Shawn doesn’t care about stealing anything.