CHA to begin second phase of preservation treatment on vandalized palace wall

A section of the Gyeongbok Palace wall that was vandalized with spray paint graffiti last December will go through another round of preservation treatment starting from Thursday for five days. [YONHAP]

The Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) announced Wednesday that it will begin the second phase of its preservation treatment on the wall of the Gyeongbok Palace that was vandalized with spray paint graffiti last December. This five-day work, which begins from Thursday, is a follow-up to the eight days of emergency treatment performed immediately after the vandalism.

The administration said its experts have been monitoring the surface of the wall that underwent laser cleaning, polishing and chemical applications every week between Jan. 19 and April 16 and have decided which areas to work on during the second phase.

Since the first phase of the preservation treatment was performed in winter, the CHA said using physical instruments like laser guns, motor tools and chemicals was the best method to erase the spray paint while minimizing the damage. While the graffiti has been mostly removed, traces of color are still visible to the naked eye, requiring secondary treatment.

For this second phase treatment, the CHA said it would work with 14 experts from the Department of Antiquities and Science at the National Palace Museum of Korea and use more chemicals like Gellan Gum, widely used in Europe for conservation, and acetone. The sections include the left and right sides of the Yeongchumun, or the western gate of Gyeongbok Palace, and the left section of the small entrance to the National Palace Museum.

An official from the CHA said the public should not worry about working with more chemicals as they conducted a preliminary experiment at the National Palace Museum to verify the effectiveness in advance and set the appropriate concentration level.

On the weekend of Dec. 16, the walls near the side gate of the National Palace Museum of Korea and the Yeongchumun of Gyeongbok Palace were covered in graffiti. Two male suspects, a 17-year-old and another in his 20s, admitted to committing the crimes on separate days. Restoration took place from Dec. 16 to 20 and Dec. 26 to 28.

After the first phase of the preservation treatment, the CHA estimated that restoring the vandalized wall would cost about 100 million won ($76,300). It added that it would calculate the exact cost through an appraisal agency and demand compensation from the two suspects after the walls were cleaned.

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