Statue of Former Haitai Tigers Star Kim Sung-han Damaged Again... Police Investigate

Police have launched an investigation after a commemorative statue of a baseball player set up on a sidewalk in Buk-gu, Gwangju, was damaged.

According to the Gwangju Bukbu Police Station and the Yongbong Fashion Street Merchants Association on the 11th, the statue of Kim Sung-han, former professional baseball player for the Haitai Tigers, installed on the sidewalk near the Yongbong Fashion Street in Buk-gu, was damaged at around 3:40 a.m. the previous day.

The statue was found snapped in half entirely above the knees and was temporarily collected by police who were dispatched following a witness report.

Upon reviewing closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from the area, the merchants association found that a man got out of the passenger seat of a car and approached the statue at the time.

Although the actual act of vandalism was not captured on video, the man voluntarily reported himself to the Buk-gu Office duty room, stating that he had damaged it while under the influence of alcohol.

Police are currently investigating the man's identity and the exact circumstances of the incident.

The statue, which was installed by Buk-gu in 2020 as part of a fashion street promotion project, had previously suffered damage to its baseball bat by intoxicated individuals in May 2023 and October 2024 before being repaired.

(Photo provided by Buk-gu, Gwangju; Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.