'Gyeongbokgung Graffiti' Teen Suspect's Arrest Warrant Denied... Copycat's Issued

The arrest warrant for a teenage suspect who vandalized the wall of Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul with spray paint graffiti was dismissed by the court. However, a copycat who committed a second act of graffiti was detained.

The warrant hearings for Im Mo, a teenager (left) who vandalized the wall of Gyeongbokgung Palace, a nationally designated cultural property, with spray paint, and Seol Mo, a person in their 20s who committed a second act of graffiti, were held on the 22nd at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu. [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 22nd, Lee Minsu, the chief judge in charge of warrants at the Seoul Central District Court, held a detention hearing for Im Mo (17) on charges of violating the Cultural Heritage Protection Act and dismissed the arrest warrant.

Judge Lee stated, "Arrest warrants for juveniles can only be issued in unavoidable cases. Although the nature of the crime is serious and the infringement of legal interests is significant, considering that the suspect is a 17-year-old juvenile with a fixed residence, has admitted to the crime and is remorseful, and that a substantial amount of related evidence has been secured," he made his judgment.

He added, "Considering the suspect's attitude during the hearing and the defense counsel's statements, it is difficult to recognize any unavoidable reason to detain the suspect."

Mr. A is accused of using spray paint to write phrases such as "Free Movie" and other expressions believed to refer to illegal video sharing sites on the wall of Gyeongbokgung Palace in the early morning of the 16th, together with his girlfriend, Ms. B (16). Mr. A testified to the police that he received a request through social networking services (SNS) from an unknown person offering money for graffiti, and that he sprayed the specified phrases at the designated location specified by the requester.

Additionally, the court issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Seol Mo, a man in his 20s who committed a copycat crime after Mr. A's act. Judge Lee cited "concerns about evidence tampering" as the reason for issuing the warrant. Mr. C is accused of spraying graffiti on the wall of Gyeongbokgung Palace for the second time on the 17th.

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