Couple in Their 60s Caught Cutting Roses at Popular Photo Spot; Their "Good Intentions" Excuse Sparks Outrage

Past midnight on June 24, someone is seen leisurely walking away with their hands full of plant stems.

It has been revealed that the suspects behind the incident, which caused public outrage after rose branches were cut from a popular "rose photo spot" in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, were a couple in their 60s.

The Suwon Paldal Police Station in Gyeonggi Province has booked and is investigating a couple in their 60s, identified as A, on charges of visiting the "Blue Gate Rose" spot in Haenggung-dong, Paldal-gu, Suwon, and cutting off and taking about 10 rose branches.

Previously, the homeowner who manages the roses stated on social media, "Two people, who appeared to be a young couple, cut the roses after midnight. They took so many that it will be difficult to restore them to their previous state."

[Interview with the owner of "Blue Gate Rose" (SBS News Hunters) : My parents really loved it when people visited and took pictures, so they worked hard to maintain them. It makes me sad and feel terrible that they just cut them off with scissors like that.]

At the time of the incident, the roses had passed their peak blooming season, and it was reported that the owner had just finished maintenance work, including pruning.

After discovering the damage, the owner filed a complaint with the police, who identified the couple through on-site investigations and CCTV analysis.

Meanwhile, a comment posted on social media by someone presumed to be A has also sparked public outrage.

The writer stated, "I apologize for causing the owner great concern, although it was done with good intentions," adding, "It was such a shame that the roses were going to disappear, and since the flowers had faded and pruning was needed, I cut them to take home for propagation."

The writer further added, "I was blinded by the greed to grow the roses, which could be removed at any time, outside my own gate so that more people could see them."

In response, the owner of the "Blue Gate Rose" refuted this on social media, saying, "In what way is this considered good intentions?" and "The roses are a matter for the owner to handle; why would you cut them at your own discretion?"

The "Blue Gate Rose" is a spot where roses bloom along the wall of a private residence, making it one of Suwon's representative photo spots visited by tourists and photography enthusiasts from all over the country during the blooming season.

The police plan to investigate the couple to determine the exact circumstances of the crime.

Reported by Lee Hyeon-yeong | Video by Kim Hye-ju | Graphics by Lee Su-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.