▲ Hyun Kyung, a professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York and a local resident, speaks at a press conference held in front of the Jongno Police Station in Seoul on June 29, titled 'Whanki Museum Police Complaint and Declaration for Saving Life,' organized by Buam-dong residents and the Seoul Korean Federation for Environmental Movement.
Residents of Buam-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, have filed a police complaint against the director of the Whanki Museum, alleging that the museum intentionally killed a ginkgo tree over 100 years old by drilling holes near its roots and injecting toxic substances.
On June 29, Buam-dong residents and the Seoul Korean Federation for Environmental Movement held a press conference in front of the Jongno Police Station, announcing that they are filing charges against Park Mi-jung, director of the Whanki Museum, and the Whanki Foundation for property damage and violation of the Soil Environment Conservation Act.
The residents claimed that they had previously identified, through CCTV footage, two workers drilling holes into the ginkgo tree outside the museum wall and injecting herbicide at approximately 9:00 a.m. on May 22. They stated that they protested to the museum at the time, but no appropriate measures were taken afterward.
Kim Bo-mi, a public interest attorney at Bae, Kim & Lee LLC, stated, "Following the injection of the toxic substance, more than 90 percent of the leaves fell off and turned yellow, rendering the tree effectively useless. There is also a possibility of soil contamination due to the herbicide." She added, "We decided to proceed with this complaint for the sake of ecological conservation, believing that a healthy society is one that speaks up for those who cannot speak for themselves."
Hyun Kyung, a resident of Buam-dong, claimed, "Even two months later, the Whanki Museum has not offered a sincere apology to the residents, nor have they disclosed what kind of toxic substance was used. Tree doctors diagnosed the tree and recommended treatment, but the museum has not responded to them either."
Those gathered at the scene chanted slogans, including "Whanki Museum, which poisoned a life under the pretext of a wall, must apologize sincerely," "Jongno Police Station must conduct a strict investigation into the ginkgo tree poisoning case," and "Trees are not objects; recognize the legal personhood of non-human living beings."
The participants held a 'Declaration for Saving Life,' arguing that legal personhood should be granted to non-human living beings, including animals and plants, to protect their inherent rights.
The residents and activists urged, "The ginkgo tree that stood in the alleys of Buam-dong for over 100 years is merely considered 'property of the joint landowners' before the law. The government and the National Assembly must begin 'life-saving legislation' that recognizes the legal subjectivity and personhood of non-human entities so that they are not killed for human convenience."
The Jongno Police Station is currently investigating one individual from a landscaping company who was previously booked on charges of property damage for injecting the herbicide.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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