What happened at Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul overnight?

A suspect sprayed graffiti reading free movie in Korean on the palace walls and the western gate near the National Palace Museum of Korea. Officials said similar graffiti also appeared on the nearby Seoul Metropolitan Agency walls.

How extensive was the graffiti damage at Gyeongbok Palace?

Officials said the damage covered more than 44 meters in length and ranged from 2 to 2.4 meters in height. The affected areas included two parts of the palace walls.

What are police and the Cultural Heritage Administration doing after the vandalism?

Police are analyzing CCTV footage to identify the suspect and are reviewing possible charges under the Cultural Protection Heritage Act. The Cultural Heritage Administration has covered the graffiti, will send preservation specialists, and plans to add more CCTV cameras.

Police tracking suspect of graffiti vandalism at Seoul palace

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Summary

Police are tracking a suspect who sprayed graffiti on the walls of Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul around 1:50 a.m. Saturday. Officials said the vandalism covered about 44 meters of palace walls and nearby areas, and police are reviewing CCTV footage. The Cultural Heritage Administration said it will quickly probe the damage, restore the site, and add more CCTV cameras.

Key Facts

The suspect repeatedly sprayed the phrase free movie in Korean in red and blue paint on both sides of the western gate and palace walls near the National Palace Museum of Korea.
Officials said the graffiti also included the names of illegal video-sharing and streaming platforms.
Police received a report at 2:20 a.m. and began analyzing CCTV footage.
Police are considering whether the suspect can be held accountable under the Cultural Protection Heritage Act.
The Cultural Heritage Administration temporarily covered the graffiti and plans to send preservation specialists to clean and restore the affected parts.

Published Dec 16, 2023 12:35 pm KST
Updated Dec 18, 2023 10:26 am KST

A pedestrian looks at red and blue graffiti that reads "free movie" sprayed on the walls of Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul, Dec. 16. Yonhap

Police are tracking down the person behind graffiti spanning some 44 meters sprayed on the walls of Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul, officials said Saturday.

The suspect repeatedly sprayed the phrase "free movie" in Korean, in red and blue paint, on both sides of the western gate to the palace and palace walls near the National Palace Museum of Korea at around 1:50 a.m., according to officials.

Also sprayed were the names of illegal video-sharing and streaming platforms, with similar graffiti also found on the walls of the nearby Seoul Metropolitan Agency.

The damage incurred by the apparent vandalism on the two parts of the palace walls measures more than 44 meters in length and between 2 and 2.4 meters in height, according to officials.

Upon receiving a report at 2:20 a.m., police started analyzing CCTV footage and reviewing whether they can hold the suspect accountable for violating the Cultural Protection Heritage Act, according to officials.

The Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA), which preserves cultural assets, said it will swiftly launch a probe and restore the damage.

The agency has temporarily covered up the graffiti and plans to dispatch preservation specialists to the scene to clean and restore affected parts.

CHA said it is closely cooperating with police and plans to install more CCTV cameras in the area to better preserve and manage the walls of the Joseon-era (1392-1910) palace.

Gyeongbok Palace is a state-designated historic site, with the affected gate and the walls all recognized as cultural heritage. (Yonhap)

A pedestrian takes photos of graffiti that reads "free movie" sprayed on the walls of Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul, Dec. 16. Yonhap

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