Korean businesses in Beijing on front line of China's THAAD backlash

중국 북경 교민사회 사드 보복에 압박 상태

China's backlash against the South Korean government's decision to deploy the U.S. missile defense system THAAD peaked this month, with unofficial sanctions placed on Korean products and companies... and public protests and boycotts.
Those at the forefront of Beijing's ire are the Koreans living and doing business in China.
Our correspondent Kwon Jang-ho is in the Chinese capital to see how they've been affected by the anti-Korean sentiment.
Beijing has a total population of 21 million and Koreans make up zero-point-5 percent of that with a community of 100-thousand.

They are mostly found in Wangjing in the northeastern corner of the Chinese capital.
Many here call the district the Koreatown of Beijing.
The streets are lined with Korean restaurants and stores... serving Korean and Chinese alike, but business has slowed significantly in recent weeks.
Korean restaurants started to see the number of Chinese customers fall since news broke of Seoul's decision to deploy a U.S. missile-defense system in South Korea.
And then in March, the one of owners tells us... they stopped coming altogether... making it difficult to keep his business running.


"What's really amazing is that it's as if they all agreed to stop coming on the same day. Not one Chinese customer has come since. I was shocked."

It's a story shared by most throughout this district.
This Korean supermarket saw sales slashed by a third in the last month.
The owner also tells us he would have to consider shutting down if the trend continues.
Anti-Korean sentiment in the Chinese capital peaked at the beginning of the month, when the Korean conglomerate Lotte agreed to a land-swap deal with the government in South Korea... allowing THAAD to be deployed to one of its golf courses... southeast of Seoul.
The Chinese government strongly objects to the deployment... and the state media and politicians were quick to denounce the move... sparking public protests calling for the boycott of Lotte and Korean products altogether.


"This WAS the biggest Lotte store in Beijing. Written here is a notice saying it has temporarily been shut down for failing safety regulations. It's one of roughly 90 stores around the country that have suffered similar fates, leaving only a handful open."

Those that do remain open are also suffering heavy losses.
Deserted aisles, bored staff and empty shelves.
This store we visited felt like an abandoned town.

The local Korean community have tried to rally and put on a brave face as they deal with an unprecedented situation.


"We're doing everything we can to facilitate communication between the community, the Chinese people and the authorities. We believe things will return to normal soon."

But at the mercy of a geopolitical power struggle that is expected to continue for some time, there is little they can do to prevent further backlash.
Kwon Jang-ho, Arirang News, Beijing.


Jang-ho will be back with the second part of his report from Beijing, looking at how anti-Korean sentiment is spreading among the Chinese public.

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