Police Arrest Suspect for Vandalizing Forced Laborer Statue at Yongsan Station

by Jeong Donghoon

Published 01 Oct.2021 11:22(KST)

On the afternoon of the 29th, the pickaxe part of the Forced Laborers' Statue in the plaza in front of Yongsan Station in Seoul was broken off and damaged. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jeong] Suspect A, who damaged the Forced Laborer Statue located at Yongsan Station Plaza in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, was apprehended in Jangheung-gun, Jeollanam-do.

According to the Yongsan Police Station on the 1st, the suspect was urgently arrested on suspicion of property damage around 7:30 PM the previous day. Currently, Mr. A is being transported to Yongsan Police Station and is under investigation.

A police official stated, "We are reviewing CCTV footage to investigate whether there are additional crimes and are also confirming the motive behind the damage."

The male suspect is accused of kicking the Forced Laborer Statue around 12:30 PM on the 29th of last month, detaching the pickaxe part and fleeing. The Forced Laborer Statue was erected in 2017 at Yongsan Station Plaza to denounce the forced mobilization during Japanese colonial rule and to relieve the grievances of Korean laborers who suffered at that time.