With a recent surge in visitors to royal palaces and royal tombs, acts of vandalism and damage have been occurring repeatedly across various sites.
The Korea Heritage Service has urged the public to comply with visitor etiquette.
The Cultural Heritage Protection Act stipulates that damaging state-designated cultural heritage is punishable by imprisonment with labor for three years or more, along with civil and criminal liabilities, including the cost of restoration.
However, as crowds exceeding capacity flock to these sites, catching violators has become difficult, and some cases of damage lack even penal regulations.
Damage caused by foreign tourists is a prime example.
Due to their large numbers and diverse nationalities, if they commit an offense and leave the country, there is no way to catch them.
In February, Chinese nationals who assaulted a Gyeongbokgung security guard demanding compliance with visitor rules left the country without being stopped, causing controversy. Similarly, a foreign tourist who relieved themselves near the stone wall of Gyeongbokgung left South Korea without any particular restrictions other than being fined 50,000 won.
Poking holes in traditional paper windows (changhoji), which has become a trend online, also lacks relevant penalty regulations.
Critics are pointing out the need for practical crackdowns on violations and revisions to the regulations.
(Source: Money Today | Video Source: Professor Seo Kyoung-duk's Instagram)
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