Seoul, South Korea – A South Korean court has sentenced a 30-year-old man, known as "Team Leader Lee," to 10 years in prison for orchestrating the vandalism of Gyeongbokgung Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The man, identified only by his surname Kang, was found guilty of hiring teenagers to spray paint the names of his illegal online video sharing sites on the palace walls.
In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered Kang to pay a fine of 255.2 million won and imposed restrictions on his employment and public disclosure of his personal information.
The prosecutors argued that Kang's crimes were extremely serious, as he had exploited vulnerable teenagers to vandalize a national treasure for personal gain. They highlighted that Kang had initially attempted to shift the blame onto a fictitious individual but later confessed when confronted with overwhelming evidence.
"The defendant exploited young students to increase the profits of his illegal movie and pornography site, damaging a national heritage and even reporting the incident to the media to increase publicity. His crimes are extremely heinous," the prosecutors stated.
Kang confessed to the crimes during the trial, expressing remorse and stating that he would live a law-abiding life. However, the prosecutors argued that his remorse was not genuine, given his initial attempts to evade responsibility.
Kang had initially claimed that a person named "Kim" had ordered the vandalism, but he later admitted to his involvement. He confessed to paying teenagers to spray paint the names of his illegal video sharing sites on the walls of Gyeongbokgung Palace, the National Palace Museum, and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.
In addition to the vandalism charges, Kang was also found guilty of operating multiple illegal video sharing sites where he distributed copyrighted films, pornography, illegally filmed content, and child sexual abuse material.
Kang was arrested in May while attempting to evade arrest. He initially escaped from police custody while being questioned but was recaptured a few hours later.
The court's ruling has been widely praised by the public, who have expressed outrage over the desecration of Gyeongbokgung Palace. The case has also highlighted the need for stronger measures to protect South Korea's cultural heritage.
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