Police probe vandalism of UNESCO heritage Jongmyo wall

▲ This photo provided by the Korea Heritage Service (KHS) shows the damaged roof tiles on the outer wall stretching from Oedaemun, the main gate of Jongmyo Shrine, toward Seosunra-gil in Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Sept. 16 (Yonhap) -- Police are investigating an incident in which part of the wall at Jongmyo Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site in central Seoul, was damaged, officials said Tuesday.

According to the Korea Heritage Service (KHS) and Seoul’s Hyehwa Police Station, patrol guards discovered early Sunday that roof tiles on the outer wall connecting Jongmyo’s main gate, Oedaemun, with Seosunra-gil had been broken or dislodged.

A total of 10 tiles, consisting of five convex and five concave tiles, were confirmed damaged.

Police said security camera footage captured a suspect, believed to be intoxicated, damaging the wall around 1 a.m. Monday while walking from Seosunra-gil toward Oedaemun.

“The footage shows a man suspected to be drunk shaking the tiles at three spots along the outer wall and pulling them loose by hand,” a KHS official said.

Authorities are tracking the suspect’s movements and appearance based on the video.

A government maintenance team repaired the damage Sunday afternoon, completing the restoration work in about four hours.

Jongmyo, designated a Historic Site in 1963 and inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1995, houses the ancestral tablets of Joseon and Korean Empire monarchs and consorts.

Its main hall, Jeongjeon, is considered the largest freestanding wooden structure in Korea. The shrine is valued for its Confucian traditions and royal rituals, regarded as one of the most solemn and refined examples of Korean architecture.

▲ This photo provided by the Korea Heritage Service (KHS) shows the Oedaemun, the main gate of Jongmyo Shrine, toward Seosunra-gil in Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)