Korean Attacked Indiscriminately in Broad Daylight in Germany... "Hateful Chinese"

"Kill all Chinese" Racist Abuse and Assault
Victim: "Police Response Lukewarm... Feeling Unfair and Frustrated"
49% of Asians "Experienced Racism During Pandemic"

In the middle of a German city, a Korean international student was subjected to racist insults, attacks, and assault by two unidentified men in broad daylight, prompting the police to launch an investigation.

The student, Harmo (29), was taking a walk in a residential area of Duisburg, Germany, around 1 p.m. local time on the 24th. Suddenly, two men approached him, shouting racist slurs such as "disgusting Chinese" and "we will kill all Chinese," and assaulted his face and other parts of his body. The incident occurred in broad daylight on Christmas Eve.

When Harmo asked passing citizens for help, the police who received the report arrived on the scene, but the two men fled.

Victim: "I feel wronged and angry... German police acted passively"

On the 27th, Harmo told Yonhap News in a phone interview, "I went out for a walk in front of my house with my dog when suddenly two men approached me and started spewing anti-Asian hate speech and assaulted my face and other parts of my body." He added, "I tightly hugged my dog to protect it and was hit repeatedly, sustaining injuries to my left eye and head. I feel very wronged and angry."

He said, "The fact that such incidents happen routinely to international students is a serious problem," and added, "Since I even received death threats, I want the perpetrators to be caught and punished to prevent other victims from emerging."

He expressed dissatisfaction with the German police, saying they acted passively and did not pursue the fleeing men despite his requests.

The Duisburg police told Yonhap News, "A case involving a Korean national has been reported, and the security unit is conducting an investigation," adding, "In addition to assault and insult, there is also suspicion of racism, so the case has been transferred to the security unit."

One in two Asians experienced direct racism during the pandemic

In Germany, racism against Asians has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a survey conducted in May last year as part of a research project by the Free University of Berlin, Humboldt University, and the German Center for Integration and Migration Research, which surveyed 4,500 people including 700 Asians living in Germany, 49% of Asians reported experiencing direct racism during the pandemic.

Among the cases of racism, 62% were verbal attacks, 11% involved physical violence such as spitting, pushing, or spraying disinfectant, and the remaining 27% were institutional exclusion, such as being denied hospital appointments. Most incidents of racism reportedly occurred while walking on the street or using public transportation, according to respondents.