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More than 70 people have now died as protests calling for the release of the former president in South Africa have led to massive riots. Damage is increasing not only in our local businesses, but also in stores run by Korean residents.



This is reporter Jeong Hye-kyung.



[Reporter]



Police open fire on mobs inside a looted grocery store.



At least 72 people, including rioters, police and security guards, have been killed in the mass riots that began in protests against the release of the former president, who was detained for corruption during his tenure in office.



In particular, after the LG Electronics factory in Durban Industrial Complex, a port city in the southeast of South Africa was burned down by arson, Samsung Electronics' logistics warehouse in the same province of KwaZulu-Natal suffered looting damage.



It is known that TVs and refrigerators were stored in the warehouse.



The exact extent of the damage is still unknown, as even the security company and its employees are being chased away by the mob.



Shops run by Koreans also suffered looting damage.



[Kim Maeng-hwan / Advisor to the Korean Association of South Africa: Activities are not possible in the downtown area. More than 50% of the stores are closed. Currently, damage is being reported in some stores among Korean residents, and about four or five have been damaged. This is the first time I have had this kind of experience while living in South Africa.] There



are about 3,300 Koreans

living in South

Africa.



Residents are locking their doors and monitoring the riots.



[Kim Maeng-hwan/Advisor of the Korean Association of South Africa: (There are not many people on the road?) Normally, I would pass a lot, but there are not many cars.

There are a lot of private security guards because there is a bank nearby.

I see a man in a red suit.

They are private security guards.]




The South African government has sent 2,500 troops to assist the police.



[Becky Kelle / Commissioner of the South African Police: I will not allow anyone to ridicule the democracy.

I have ordered law enforcement agencies to double their efforts to stop the violence.]



However, the riots show no signs of abating as political unrest, extreme living due to COVID-19, and the gap between the rich and the poor overlap.



(Video coverage: Yoo Dong-hyuk, video editing: Jung Yong-hwa)