[Anchor]

A ginkgo tree that has stood in an alleyway in Buam-dong, Seoul, for over a century has been withering away for the past two months. It was discovered that a large amount of a substance, suspected to be herbicide, was injected into the tree—an act committed by the art museum right next door.

Reporter Kim Gyu-ri has the story.

[Reporter]

In Buam-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, a ginkgo tree that has watched over the neighborhood for more than 100 years stands on a slope along the wall of an art museum.

However, unlike other trees, its tall branches are filled with yellowed leaves instead of green ones.

When the tree, which was healthy just a few months ago, began to show signs of distress, local residents checked CCTV footage from the alley and were shocked.

On April 22, two men were seen using an electric drill to bore holes into the base of the tree and injecting a liquid suspected to be herbicide.

The men in question were employees of a landscaping company hired by the adjacent Whanki Museum.

[Hyun Kyung / Resident of Buam-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul: The leaves were falling off as if it were autumn, so I went to check, and I discovered them in the act of injecting poison.]

The 100-year-old tree, located right next to a museum dedicated to the late painter Kim Whanki—who used the pen name Su-hwan, meaning to talk with trees—is now on the verge of dying.

Diagnostic results requested by the Jongno-gu Office from the National Institute of Forest Science and by environmental groups from experts concluded that it appears to be a "typical case of herbicide damage" and that "nearly 90 percent of the leaves have discolored or faded, indicating an intent to kill the tree."

Environmental groups and residents have demanded that the museum take measures to help the tree recover and have filed a police report.

[Cho Hae-min / Activist at Seoul Korean Federation for Environmental Movement: We urge the police to strictly investigate the truth behind the artificial harm inflicted on the Buam-dong ginkgo tree and the circumstances of the decision-making process.]

In a statement of apology recently posted on its website, the Whanki Museum stated that it could not ignore the risk of the museum wall collapsing due to the tree's roots, and that it is currently taking measures to help the tree recover and improve the situation.

(Video reporting: Lee Sang-hak | Video editing: Jung Sung-hoon | Design: Kang Yoon-jung, Jeon Yu-geun)