Man vandalizes palace gate with 'message to Trump'
The Cultural Heritage Administration on Monday confirmed that a 79-year-old man was caught in the act of writing on the stone base of the palace's main gate of Gwanghwamun. The suspect was stopped after he wrote in black marker, 'A message to the people and citizens of the world, President Trump.'
The motive behind the act remains unclear. The man, a resident of Seoul, was handed over to the police at the scene.
Following the incident, the CHA, in coordination with the National Palace Museum of Korea, dispatched a team of experts to assess the damage and safely remove the graffiti, officials said.
Gyeongbokgung, home to many kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910) and now a major tourist attraction, was similarly vandalized in 2023. A man operating an illegal video-sharing platform hired two high school students to deface the historic site. He was later sentenced to eight years in prison by the appellate court.
Under the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act, people who vandalize heritage sites can be ordered to restore the damage and pay the full cost of repairs, as well as a separate criminal sentence.
Removal of the 2023 graffiti cost approximately 131 million won (about $100,000) in cleaning costs.
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