Prosecutors on Monday sought a three-year prison term for a man accused of vandalizing Gyeongbok Palace by scribbling on its outer wall in central Seoul.
The man in his 20s, only identified by his surname Sul, stands accused of spray-painting the names of a singer and his album in red in December on the left wall of the western gate to the Gyeongbok Palace, a royal palace from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).
The man allegedly committed the act as a copycat crime, a day after two teenagers similarly vandalized the same palace walls.
“The nature of the crime is grave given that it damaged state-designated cultural heritage,” the prosecutors said during the final hearing held at the Seoul Central District Court.
“(The suspect) premeditated the crime by uploading a warning and preparing the tools beforehand, while he showed no signs of self-reflection, and even uploaded a post saying he is “not sorry” on his vlog after the police interrogation,” the prosecution added.
The defendant, on the other hand, plead
ed for leniency, saying he felt sorry for those who had to erase the scribbling during a cold winter.
Source: Yonhap News Agency