Gyeongbok Palace wall restorations may cost 100 million won

The restoration of the vandalized Gyeongbok Palace walls is estimated to cost $76,300; the Cultural Heritage Administration plans further restorations and increased security measures to prevent future acts of vandalism.

Lee Tae-jong, a researcher at the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, demonstrates how to remove spray paint from a stone slab by using a laser tool, in front of Yeongchu Gate at Gyeongbok Palace in Jung District, central Seoul, on Thursday. [NEWS1]

The eight-day project to restore the vandalized Gyeongbok Palace walls is estimated to cost 100 million won ($76,300), the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) said in a press conference Thursday.

Fees for renting equipment and purchasing consumables took up 21.53 million won, and the rest was for personnel expenses for the 234 officials who worked on the restoration.

The CHA said that it will calculate the exact cost through an appraisal agency and then demand compensation from the two suspects.

The same day, the screens that had been installed to cover the portions of the wall were finally removed, and Gyeongbok Palace fully opened back to the public. Eighty percent of the restorations have now been completed.

While the graffiti has been mostly erased, there are still traces of color left on the walls from the blue and red spray paint. The CHA will resume its restoration in the spring, after the cold weather passes, and check for any changes to the state of the walls.

Multiple cleaning methods, like chemical and laser treatment, were used depending on the condition and structure of each stone.

The CHA also found minor scribbles made by pens and other sharp objects at other heritage sites, including the other four Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) palaces in Seoul and the inside of Jongmyo Shrine and the Royal Tombs of Joseon.

The CHA said it will also restore those and take measures to prevent such vandalism from happening again.

Measures include reviewing the current monitoring system for any flaws and installing 110 more surveillance cameras across the aforementioned cultural assets by next year. The number of patrols who monitor the cameras and heritage sites will also be increased.

The CHA said it would also produce and distribute educational videos on heritage preservation and mentioned plans to revitalize its reporting system on damaged cultural properties, currently available via the CHA website or by calling 1661-9112. A reward system is being considered, and details on the decision are to follow.

“This all happened because there was a lack of awareness in preserving cultural heritage,” CHA head Choi Eung-chon said. “The CHA will change its current system to be constantly on alert, and pre-emptively take actions to make sure everyone realizes that once a cultural heritage is damaged, it’s difficult to restore it.”

On the weekend of Dec. 16, the walls near the side gate of the National Palace Museum of Korea and the Yeongchu Gate of Gyeongbok Palace were covered in graffiti. Two male suspects, a 17-year-old and another in his 20s, each admitted to committing the crimes on separate days. Restoration took place from Dec. 16 to 20 and Dec. 26 to 28.

Korean law states that a person who damages or steals pieces of cultural heritage may face a minimum of three years in prison.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]