An unidentified man called into a show on Radio Korea here to say that his young son had been spat on by two students at school, said Charles Kim, executive director of the local Korean-American Coalition, who was a guest on the show.

Soojin Lyuh, 25, a graduate student at the University of Southern California, was advised by relatives in South Korea to "stay home as much as possible and to not tell anyone that I was Korean...."

Fearful of the backlash that Arab-Americans and others encountered after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and disquieted by what many Koreans interviewed perceive to be ominous portrayals of their culture - the stereotypical Asian loner becomes a killer - Koreans around the country have watched the events in Virginia unfold with particular unease.

In cities with large Korean populations, a refrain with recurring themes could be heard this week.

"The first thing I thought was please, please, don't let him be Korean," said Chong Duk-Chung, 47, who works in a beauty salon in New York. "As a member of the Korean-American community, I'm a little embarrassed and a little ashamed." she said.

Meanwhile, South Koreans mourned the deaths of those killed in the Virginia Tech shootings at a special church service today, some fighting back tears from the guilt that a fellow South Korean was responsible for the massacre. [Link]