Korean Riot Victims Suffer Stress Disorder : Survey: Only three in 10 have reopened businesses, study shows. Many complain of nightmares, depression and anxiety.

More than half of the Korean-American victims of last spring’s riots show symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, and nearly half say that they feel hopeless about the future, according to a survey released Monday.

Only about three in 10 have reopened their businesses.

The survey of people who lost businesses in the riots was done by the Korean American Inter-Agency Council and was made public at a news conference in Koreatown.

Ten months after the civil unrest destroyed their livelihoods, riot victims complain of nightmares, depression, anxiety and fear, it found.

Ulcers and poor appetite are common. Domestic violence and child abuse are on the rise.

“These symptoms and incidents of abuse are directly related to the riot and victims’ financial difficulties,” the study said. “Unfortunately, although so many victims suffer from severe anxiety and poor health, a great deal of suspicion and shame attached to mental-health-related services inhibit them from readily receiving counseling.”

The council is a coalition of nine community organizations formed after the riots.

Only 29% of the 1,539 victims responding to the survey said they were optimistic about starting over, and only 28% have reopened their businesses.

Two-thirds of the respondents said that they have not recovered from the riots, and 49% said they were pessimistic about their future and viewed the rebuilding process as a “hopeless cause.”

The telephone survey was conducted by bilingual Korean-American callers between October and January. Of the 2,130 riot victims, 1,539 persons responded, 131 refused to talk and 460 could not be reached.

“This analysis is important because it is the only accurate assessment of the Korean-American victims most adversely impacted by the riots,” said Bong-Hwan Kim, executive director of the Korean Youth and Community Center, where the news conference was held. “American institutions responsible for providing remedies did not do an adequate job. This study is a reminder that the job can’t be forgotten.”

The study criticized government agencies for cultural ignorance and insensitivity. For example, the state Employment Development Department created a job program, allotting 2,000 spots to Korean-American victims, the study said. But Korean-American victims could not benefit from it, the study said, because they had to have a good command of English to qualify for the clerical jobs.

The survey also found that 65% of the Korean-American small-business owners were uninsured. Many others had insurance with unlicensed offshore companies.

“There are a lot of victims out there whose lives have fallen apart or are on the verge of falling apart through no fault of their own,” said Yeong S. Jyoo, who worked on the survey. Jyoo criticized officials of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Small Business Administration for overwhelming riot victims with red tape and giving them conflicting information.

Korean immigrants were victimized first by the rioters, then by a combination of their unfamiliarity with the American institutions and the ignorance and insensitivity of bureaucrats, Jyoo said.

“This study is just the beginning of the work that needs to be done by the public and private sectors,” he said.