New graffiti found on Gyeongbok Palace wall 40 hours after Saturday vandalism

Korean Heritage

Published: 18 Dec. 2023, 11:26 Updated: 18 Dec. 2023, 17:19

New graffiti found on Gyeongbok Palace wall 40 hours after Saturday vandalism

Graffiti sprayed on the walls of Yeongchumun Gate, the west entrance of Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul, has been temporarily covered by officials on Saturday. However, another set of graffiti was found on the left wall of the gate on Sunday night. [NEWS1]

Another set of graffiti was found on the already-vandalized walls of Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul on Sunday, adding to the 44-meter (144-feet) graffiti that was spray-painted the night before, according to police reports.

A bus driver driving past the area reported it to the police on Sunday night.

The police said after analyzing security camera footage that they saw a suspect spray-painting the left wall of the Yeongchumun, the palace's west gate, at around 10:20 p.m. on Sunday.

The police said they couldn't yet confirm if the two graffiti pieces were painted by the same person.

Efforts underway to restore vandalized Gyeongbok Palace wall

The graffiti found on Saturday — spanning some 44 meters (144 feet) — was spray-painted in Korean with red and blue paint. The words "free movie" in Korean and a web address to an apparent illegal streaming website were spray-painted multiple times.

The police are still tracking down the suspect of Saturday's vandalism.

The new graffiti was in English this time, spraying the name of a K-pop act and its album's name, also with red and blue paint.

The Cultural Heritage Administration dispatched officials early Monday morning to install a temporary screen to cover up the graffiti.

A preservation specialist tries to scrape off the paint carefully from the vandalized wall at Gyeongbok Palace on Saturday. Gyeongbok Palace is a state-designated historical site. [YONHAP]

The new case follows just 40 hours after the first. About 20 preservation specialists were dispatched to Gyeongbok Palace early Saturday morning.

They have been wiping off the vandalized walls on Saturday — both sides of the Yeongchumun and the walls near the National Palace Museum of Korea.

The Cultural Heritage Administration said it is working to wipe off the graffiti. However, one more week will be added to its restoration efforts due to the new graffiti. Gyeongbok Palace is a state-designated cultural property, and the walls of Yeongchumun are parts of the palace.

Temporary fences have been installed around the walls of the entrance to the National Palace Museum of Korea on Saturday so that preservation specialists can do the restoration work on the vandalized walls. [NEWS1]

BY YIM SEUNG-HYE [yim.seunghye@joongang.co.kr]