Man in His 40s Arrested for Attempting to Damage Yi Sun-sin Statue at Gwanghwamun with Hammer

Claimed "National Intelligence Service employees harassed him" during police questioning

Statue of Admiral Yi Sun-sin located at Gwanghwamun Square, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

A man was apprehended by police for attempting to damage the statue of Admiral Yi Sun-sin on Children's Day.

On May 7, the Jongno Police Station in Seoul announced that they booked a 48-year-old man, referred to as A, on charges of attempted damage to public property for trying to vandalize the Yi Sun-sin statue at Gwanghwamun Square.

At approximately 11:20 a.m. on May 5, A was caught in the act by police while attempting to climb the statue with a hammer.

It has been reported that A climbed onto the pedestal of the statue and tried to commit the act, but did not succeed.

During police questioning, A reportedly stated that he tried to destroy the statue because he was being harassed by National Intelligence Service employees.

In consideration of A's symptoms of mental illness, the police have placed him under emergency hospitalization and are investigating the circumstances of the incident.

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