At Least a Week Needed to Erase Graffiti at Gyeongbokgung Palace... 20 Workers Resume Despite Cold Wave

Spray Graffiti on the 16th... Police Tracking
Cultural Heritage Administration "Cleaning and Restoration as Quickly as Possible"
Police Tracking Two Suspects Through CCTV Analysis

The wall of Gyeongbokgung Palace, a representative cultural heritage site in Seoul, South Korea, was vandalized with spray paint graffiti. The Cultural Heritage Administration immediately deployed experts to begin restoration work.

In the early morning of the 16th, someone sprayed graffiti including phrases like 'Free Movie' and words that appear to reference illegal video sharing sites on the walls around Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Spray graffiti written on the west wall of Gyeongbokgung Palace, towards the National Palace Museum in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 16th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Cultural Heritage Administration has stated it will respond strictly to acts of cultural heritage damage. Gyeongbokgung, the royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty where the king resided, is a major attraction visited by millions of tourists annually. It was designated as a national historic site in 1963. The entire wall area, including the left and right sides of Yeongchumun Gate that were defaced by graffiti, is included within the designated historic site boundaries.

The Cultural Heritage Administration, together with the police, is tracking suspects based on nearby closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage. They have also conducted a joint on-site investigation with cultural heritage conservation experts from the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage’s Conservation Science Center and the National Palace Museum, and have begun prompt restoration work.

A Cultural Heritage Administration official stated on the 17th, "From 11 a.m., we deployed 20 experts including those from the National Palace Museum and the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage to resume cleaning and restoration work." The work is being carried out simultaneously around Yeongchumun Gate on the west side of Gyeongbokgung and the National Palace Museum area.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Cultural Heritage Administration plans to use various methods such as chemical treatments and laser cleaning for the restoration. The cleaning will be conducted simultaneously around Yeongchumun Gate and the National Palace Museum to complete the removal of red and blue spray paint marks before they penetrate the stone surface.

The removal of the spray paint traces is expected to take at least a week. A site official explained, "We used chemical agents yesterday to clean the sprayed sections, but the sudden cold weather and partial absorption of the spray into the stone make the work challenging."

Another official said, "We will proceed with cleaning and restoration as quickly as possible," adding, "We plan to install barriers to minimize inconvenience to pedestrians and conduct work simultaneously from both sides."

Under the current Cultural Heritage Protection Act, writing, drawing, or engraving on designated cultural heritage sites such as historic sites is prohibited. Violators may be ordered to restore the site to its original condition or be charged for related costs.

On the morning of the 17th, Cultural Heritage Administration officials are removing spray paint graffiti from the wall of Gyeongbokgung Palace. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The Cultural Heritage Administration regards this graffiti as an unauthorized act that seriously affects cultural heritage preservation and is reviewing relevant laws and punishment standards. According to laws regulating 'unauthorized acts,' anyone who alters the condition of a nationally designated cultural property or performs acts that may affect its preservation can face imprisonment of up to five years or a fine of up to 50 million won.

A Gyeongbokgung management office official said, "We are legally reviewing whether this can be treated as an unauthorized alteration of a historic site and whether legal violations can be applied," adding, "We are also considering charging for restoration costs."

The police are accelerating their pursuit of two suspects based on nearby CCTV footage. The Jongno Police Station’s intelligence and criminal investigation teams are jointly analyzing CCTV footage and tracking mobile phone locations. Since connecting the suspects’ movements is not straightforward, the analysis is expected to take some time. A police official stated, "We are keeping all possibilities open, including the involvement of other related parties, as the investigation proceeds."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.