"Why Are Koreans Behaving Like This Lately?"... Another Case of Korean Graffiti Brings National Embarrassment

Korean graffiti on the Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona, Spain, and the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove in Japan. Facebook of Seo Kyungduk

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Korean graffiti has been discovered at the Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona, one of the most popular tourist attractions and considered a masterpiece by architect Antoni Gaudi. As images of the graffiti spread through online communities and social networking services (SNS), public opinion has formed that this is an embarrassment to the nation.

On October 21, Seo Kyungduk, a professor at Sungshin Women's University, shared photos of the graffiti on SNS, stating, "Several netizens took the photos themselves and sent them to me. The word 'Ppyoek' is written in large Korean letters on a pillar of the cathedral."

'Ppyoek' is an internet slang term generally used to express discomfort or displeasure. Although there is graffiti in various languages around the area, Professor Seo criticized the Korean graffiti for its prominent size and location, making it immediately noticeable.

Professor Seo commented, "I do not understand why some Koreans are behaving this way these days. Korean graffiti should never be left on world-famous tourist attractions," and emphasized, "With Korea's brand image improving significantly thanks to recent K-content, such actions only damage the national image. It is important to maintain mature civic awareness."

Meanwhile, Korean graffiti has recently been found at several tourist destinations around the world. At the famous Arashiyama Bamboo Grove in Kyoto, Japan, the names of a couple believed to be Korean, along with a heart, were drawn. Korean graffiti has also been discovered on the rock surfaces of the Grand Canyon, a well-known tourist site in Arizona, United States.

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