Homeless Man Breaks into Koreatown Streetlight to Charge Phone

May 30, 2025 11:06 AM PDT

Last Updated: May 30, 2025 11:06 AM PDT

A homeless man was seen on May 29 in Koreatown, Los Angeles, opening a streetlight power box on the sidewalk along Wilshire Boulevard to charge his phone.

City officials estimate that more than 25,000 streetlights are currently out of service across Los Angeles. Unauthorized power usage by homeless individuals has been identified as one of the major causes of the widespread outages in the area.

BY SANGJIN KIM [sk1015@koreadaily.com]

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Sangjin Kim

Sangjin Kim, born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, studied photojournalism and worked as a photographer for a magazine and AFP Seoul. In 1999, he moved to the U.S. with his wife and son to study visual communications at Ohio University. After graduating, he settled in Los Angeles, working as a photographer for The Korea Daily. Adjusting to life in LA, he was struck by how many Koreans maintained their culture and language. As a photographer, he captured the city's diverse communities. Now a permanent resident, he observes and documents American life from an outsider's perspective. Sangjin lives in LA with his wife and four sons.

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