I think it is an interesting point that Kari has brought to the table here. Although the media points out that Seung-Hui Cho had a history of mental problems, it emphasizes the fact that he was a Korean immigrant (NOT a citizen, just a permanent resident) and that he came to the United States when he was about 8 years old.
I was talking to a group of Asian American students on Wednesday in regards to this tragic incident, and one of them brought up an interesting point on why the media makes sure that he is identified as a Korean immigrant, not an average American. She said that since the United States has a history of gun shootings in schools, the media wants to show that this incident does not happen in everyday American society. Rather, it was a disturbed foreigner who had serious mental problems. Not surprisingly, this event is racialized throughout the media, and I cannot help feeling very self-conscious when I am walking around campus.

After finding out that the gunman was South Korean, I became more alert of my existence on campus. When I was walking at night, I feared that someone would come up and shoot me because I am South Korean. Although this sounds dramatic, I realized that a lot of Korean American students shared the feelings as well--that we were targeted, and people won't see Seung-Hui Cho as someone who had psychological problems, but rather they see him as a KOREAN kid with serious psychological problems.

President of South Korea, Roh Muhyun, publicly apologized for the incident, and the rest of the people in South Korea felt ashamed that such incident happened. It's incredible how Korean people feel somewhat "responsible" for this incident. Why? I remember American soldiers running over two innocent girls with a military tank vehicle, the US government disregarded the case and refused to apologize. Of course what happened at Virginia Tech was horrible, but I think it's important for us to note the power dynamic between Korea and the United States, and why South Koreans feel a certain way and feel responsible toward this tragic event.