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In MERS concern, LA Korean American org cancels student trip to Korea

June 4, 2015
An elementary school classroom in Choongbuk, South Korea, sits empty Wednesday. Hundreds of schools have shut down after a MERS outbreak that has killed three people as of Thursday. (Yonhap)

An elementary school classroom in Choongbuk, South Korea, sits empty Wednesday. Hundreds of schools have shut down after a MERS outbreak that has killed three people as of Thursday. (Yonhap)

By The Korea Times Los Angeles staff

The Korean American Federation of Los Angeles has canceled its plans to take KAFLA Jr. to South Korea for a summer program due to increasing concerns surrounding the MERS outbreak.

The program, which would have seen students visit Korea to experience and learn more about its culture for 10 days in July, was deemed unsafe by the federation Wednesday.

Jeff Lee, a director of the KAFLA, said many students had pulled out of the trip.

“We’re disappointed to cancel a program we’ve worked so hard on, but the students’ safety comes first,” Lee said.

The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome took a third life Thursday, bringing the number infected to 35 and the number quarantined to about 1,600. Hundreds of schools have been closed due to the outbreak.

Similar worries have begun to plague Korean Americans in Los Angeles, which contains the largest Korean community outside Korea.

An L.A. resident, 30-year-old Kim, said she had reserved a ticket to meet her parents in Korea.

“I couldn’t get rid of my anxiety, so I canceled it,” she said. “I’m thinking of visiting Korea when the MERS situation is settled.”

Park Byung-yong, a deputy head at Korean Air’s Los Angeles office, said the office has been receiving phone calls with inquiries about the safety of traveling to Korea because of MERS.

He said the office has not yet seen any cancellations or requests to change flight dates.

Shin Young-im, vice president of Samho Tour & Travel in Los Angeles, said business is operating normally.

“But it’s such a big issue in Korea. We’re worried it might marry over to L.A.,” he said.