Korea Heritage Service to ramp up security at historic sites after recent vandalism incident
Published: 19 Aug. 2024, 17:45
Updated: 20 Aug. 2024, 11:50
-
- YIM SEUNG-HYE
- yim.seunghye@joongang.co.kr
![Seolleung, located in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, is a state-designated Historic Site and is one of 40 royal tombs of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). It was granted Unesco World Heritage status in 2009. Seolleung belongs to King Seongjong, the ninth king of Joseon and his wife, Queen Jeonghyeon. NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2024/08/20/624a2639-c3bd-4f18-ab54-6b87d660e14e.jpg)
Seolleung, located in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, is a state-designated Historic Site and is one of 40 royal tombs of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). It was granted Unesco World Heritage status in 2009. Seolleung belongs to King Seongjong, the ninth king of Joseon and his wife, Queen Jeonghyeon. NEWS1]
![The woman illegally entered the tomb site at around 2:30 a.m. on Aug. 14 and dug a hole in the tumulus. The hole was about the size of an adult's fist. [KOREA HERITAGE SERVICE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2024/08/20/c7ab575e-1364-4b83-be5f-a92af83ccfa8.jpg)
The woman illegally entered the tomb site at around 2:30 a.m. on Aug. 14 and dug a hole in the tumulus. The hole was about the size of an adult's fist. [KOREA HERITAGE SERVICE]
The Korea Heritage Service announced on Monday plans to bolster security around the nation's key cultural heritage sites by expanding CCTV coverage to minimize blind spots and by deploying human patrols at night. This move comes in response to last week's incident in which a woman in her 50s damaged Seolleung, a royal tomb located in Seoul's Gangnam District.
According to police reports, the woman entered the site around 2:30 a.m. on Aug. 14, which is off-limits, and dug a fist-sized hole in the burial mound. The police were alerted by the Seolleung Management Office later that morning at around 11 a.m. and arrested the suspect at her home in Gyeonggi at 5:40 p.m. after reviewing CCTV footage.
The police sought an arrest warrant to detain the woman for further investigation, emphasizing the seriousness of the crime and expressing concerns about potential copycat incidents — mentioning a recent wave of cultural property vandalism. In December last year, parts of Gyeongbok Palace’s walls were vandalized in two separate incidents.
However, on Aug. 16, the Seoul Central District Court dismissed the arrest warrant, citing a low likelihood of evidence tampering or flight risk. The woman is accused of violating the Cultural Heritage Protection and Utilization Act.
In a statement released Monday, the Korea Heritage Service said the distance between the Seolleung Management Office and the tomb site was quite far. To address this, it announced plans to install artificial intelligence CCTV devices with motion detection and warning sound capabilities at four locations on the outer walls by September. Additionally, LED warning signs will be installed to deter unauthorized entry.
![The woman in her 50s, who is accused of violating the Cultural Heritage Protection and Utilization Act for digging a hole at the royal tomb of Seolleung, enters the Central District Court on Aug. 16 for an arrest warrant review. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2024/08/20/4804fbf5-5db3-499e-a4e9-12a4056dc81a.jpg)
The woman in her 50s, who is accused of violating the Cultural Heritage Protection and Utilization Act for digging a hole at the royal tomb of Seolleung, enters the Central District Court on Aug. 16 for an arrest warrant review. [NEWS1]
Seolleung is a state-designated historic site and one of the 40 royal tombs of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). It was granted Unesco World Heritage status in 2009. It houses the tombs of King Seongjong, the ninth king of Joseon, and his wife, Queen Jeonghyeon.
By collaborating with the Seoul Gangnam Police Precinct, the Korea Heritage Service also said it would tighten security around the tomb site between 2 a.m and 4 a.m.
However, experts argue that strengthening the surveillance system is not enough to prevent similar incidents, adding that it’s the level of punishment that should be increased.
"Simply increasing the number of CCTV devices doesn't necessarily reduce crime," said Kim Gyu-ho, a professor at Kongju National University's Department of Cultural Heritage Conservation Science. He emphasized the importance of imposing stricter punishments on those who damage state-designated cultural heritage sites, as a means of reinforcing the seriousness of such crimes.
Under the Cultural Heritage Protection Act, individuals who damage, steal or conceal state-designated cultural heritage, or otherwise impair its utility, face a prison sentence of three years or more.
BY YIM SEUNG-HYE [yim.seunghye@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)