Du Hwan Hwang was 57 years old when he died on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2002, in Koreatown. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died of stab wounds at 955 S. Western Ave. His death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as a Los Angeles Police Department case, assigned to the Wilshire Division.
Hwang was a businessman. According to the Los Angeles Times, he "managed a business complex and operated a check-cashing business" near 9th Street and Western Avenue. His office was at the rear of the property at 955 S. Western Ave., and on that Saturday morning he was working there alone.
According to an LAPD media advisory, at about 10 a.m. his wife "discovered her husband, Mr. Du-Hwan Hwang's body, inside his office, which is located in the rear parking lot at 955 South Western Avenue." The department wrote that he "was alone inside his office when the suspects entered and stabbed him."
A Los Angeles city rescue ambulance responded, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. An earlier LAPD release gave the time of the incident as about 9:50 a.m.
At first, police said they had no motive and no suspect information. Within days, detectives had more. The LAPD described the suspects as "two male Hispanics in their 30's," adding that "one of the suspects was dressed in white painters' clothing, displaying several different colored paint drippings on the pants." The department said "the motive for this crime appears to be robbery," and the Times reported that detectives believed the same.
The case drew attention at City Hall. At the request of Councilman Nate Holden's office, the Los Angeles City Council approved a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. The reward was announced at a press conference at the Wilshire Community Police Station on Aug. 15, 2002. The LAPD said the persons responsible "have not been identified and represent an ongoing threat to the safety of the people of Los Angeles." Detectives Bolan and Cooper of Wilshire Division Homicide were assigned to the case.
The Times reported that "[Hwang] left a wife and two grown children." The LAPD described him as "well known in the business community."
Koreatown, just west of downtown, is one of the most densely populated districts in Los Angeles. Western Avenue is one of its main commercial streets, lined with mini-malls, offices, restaurants and small businesses, many of them Korean-owned. In 2002 the neighborhood was policed by the LAPD's Wilshire Division.
Homicides in Los Angeles rose sharply in the early 2000s, climbing past 600 in 2002, and detectives carried heavy caseloads. Many killings from those years were never solved.
No arrest, criminal charge or court case connected to the death of Du Hwan Hwang could be found in news archives or public records. More than 23 years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who was near Western Avenue and 9th Street on the morning of Aug. 3, 2002, who saw a man in paint-spattered white work clothes in the area, or who heard someone talk about a robbery there, may hold information that could help detectives. Even a small detail, such as a name overheard, a vehicle seen nearby or a conversation remembered, can help detectives move a case forward. Anyone with information can call the Los Angeles Police Department at 877-527-3247 (877-LAPD-24-7), or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
