Latest news with #CulturalHeritagePreservationAct
Korea Herald
11-08-2025
- Korea Herald
Man, 79, arrested for vandalizing Gwanghwamun wall
A 79-year-old man was apprehended Monday morning after allegedly defacing the historic stone wall of Gwanghwamun, the front gate to the main palace Gyeongbokgung, with a message addressed to US President Donald Trump. According to the Korea Heritage Service, a security officer on duty found the man, identified only by the surname Kim, writing on the stone wall at around 8:10 a.m. on Monday. Kim, a resident of Gangseo-gu, Seoul, used a black marker to write a message beginning with, 'A letter to the people and the world, President Trump … .' The security officer immediately intervened, halted the act of vandalism and reported the incident to the palace's security center. Kim was subsequently taken into custody and handed over to police for investigation. Authorities have not yet determined Kim's motive. The Korea Heritage Service confirmed that conservation experts from the National Palace Museum of Korea were dispatched to begin removing the graffiti. The cleanup was expected to be completed by the end of the day. 'This is a serious act of damage against Gyeongbokgung, a symbol of our national heritage and the main royal palace of the Joseon era,' a Korea Heritage Service official said. 'We will respond strictly.' Under South Korea's Cultural Heritage Preservation Act, individuals who deface cultural properties may be ordered to restore the damage and pay the full cost of the restoration. This is not the first time the palace has been targeted by a vandal. In late 2023, a teenager spray-painted graffiti on Yeongchumun and a side entrance near the National Palace Museum. The act was reportedly motivated by a false promise of a 3 million won ($2,120) reward. The cleanup cost was estimated at 131 million won. Gyeongbokgung, originally constructed in 1395, is one of Korea's most treasured cultural landmarks and a major tourist destination.
Korea Herald
11-08-2025
- Korea Herald
Man vandalizes palace gate with 'message to Trump'
Gyeongbokgung, an iconic royal palace in Seoul, has been vandalized with graffiti, less than two years after a similar incident in late 2023. 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.
