Seoul: A court of appeals on Thursday upheld a lower court's suspended prison sentence for a vandal indicted for drawing copycat graffiti on the wall of a landmark Joseon Dynasty royal palace in Seoul. The Seoul High Court confirmed a prison term of two years, suspended for three years, and 120 hours of community service for the 29-year-old vandal, surnamed Seol.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Seol was indicted for spray-painting the names of a singer and an album on the outer wall of Gyeongbok Palace on December 17, 2023, in a copycat crime of similar vandalism committed at the same palace one day earlier. The incident has drawn attention due to the cultural significance of the site and the boldness of the act.
The perpetrator of the first graffiti attack, identified only as an 18-year-old surnamed Im, was sentenced by a court last month to a maximum of two years in prison and a minimum of one and a half years in prison. The court's decision reflects the seriousness with which authorities are treating acts of vandalism, particularly at culturally significant sites.