Manhattan Samsung 837 Store Avoids Looting Damage

Damage Prevented Thanks to Preemptive Measures
New York City Extends Night Curfew Through This Weekend...Curfew Start Moved Up to 8 PM

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Samsung Electronics' New York flagship store reportedly overcame the threat of looting amid the riots.

On the 2nd (local time), Samsung Electronics stated that `Samsung837` located at 837 Washington Street in Manhattan was not damaged despite the riots the day before.

After protests spread following the death of a Black person last week, Samsung installed wooden barricades at the entrance of Samsung837 to prepare for possible looting. Samsung837 had been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Samsung837 is a marketing center and experience space opened by Samsung Electronics in February 2016. It is Samsung's symbolic store responding to the Manhattan Apple Store.

Samsung reported that although there were attempts to loot Samsung837 during the looting in Manhattan the night before, there were no significant issues due to the barricades and security personnel's intervention. Apple stores in Manhattan have also strengthened security by installing guards around their premises.

The looting that occurred on the 31st in southern Lower Manhattan and the SoHo area spread on the 1st to Midtown and Fifth Avenue, known for its luxury stores. Considerable damage was also reported in the Bronx, a predominantly Black residential area.

The New York Police Department stated that about ten stores, including Macy's department store in Herald Square, Manhattan, and Nordstrom in Union Square, had their windows broken and goods looted.

Each store actively responded, refusing to be defenseless. Many luxury stores completely boarded up their exterior walls or removed all displayed products. The Rolex watch store in SoHo was reported to have lost watches worth millions of dollars, but they clarified that aside from broken windows, there was no further damage.

According to the New York Consulate General and the New York Korean Association, no damage to Korean-owned businesses has been reported yet. However, concerns have been raised about possible damage to businesses targeting Black customers in areas like the Bronx. In response, the New York Korean Association is strengthening solidarity with Black organizations to prepare for any unforeseen situations.

As looting spread, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the nighttime curfew would be extended until the end of this week. The curfew start time was moved up three hours from 11 p.m. to 8 p.m. New York City had implemented its first nighttime curfew from 11 p.m. the previous night to 5 a.m. that day but could not prevent large-scale riots and looting.

CNN reported that New York City's nighttime curfew is the strongest restriction measure in over 70 years since then-Mayor Fiorello La Guardia imposed a curfew at 10:30 p.m. in August 1943 after a white police officer shot a Black soldier, triggering large-scale riots in Harlem.

A source said that the planned Phase 1 economic reopening scheduled to begin on the 8th has also become uncertain.