Gyeongnam Police Agency Takes Charge of 'Gusandong Dolmen Vandalism Case'

Jiseokmyo Dolmen in Gusan-dong, Gimhae-si, Gyeongnam.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] The Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency has taken charge of investigating the case related to the damage of the Gusan-dong Dolmen in Gusan-dong, Gimhae-si, Gyeongnam.

On the 17th, the Cultural Heritage Administration filed a complaint with the Gimhae Jungbu Police Station against Hong Taeyong, mayor of Gimhae City and representative of the maintenance project, for violating Article 31, Paragraph 2 of the Act on the Protection and Investigation of Buried Cultural Properties.

On the 19th, a police official explained, “Due to the vast amount of materials to be investigated, which could burden local stations, and considering that this is a case attracting social attention, it was transferred to the Police Agency.”

The Gusan-dong Dolmen, registered as Gyeongsangnam-do Monument No. 280, is a dolmen site excavated during the 2006 development project of the Gusan-dong residential district in Gimhae.

The capstone, called sangseok, weighs 350 tons, and the burial site facilities centered around the dolmen cover 1,615㎡, which scholars estimate to be the largest scale in the world.

It is known that during the city’s dolmen restoration and maintenance project, which began in December 2020, the surrounding strata and burial site marker stones were damaged.

Earlier, the Cultural Heritage Administration confirmed ▲loss of cultural layers around the dolmen capstone ▲destruction of cultural layers at the sites of water tanks, pipeline facilities, and boundary walls within the maintenance project area.

There was also controversy over the city’s unauthorized removal and damage of thin and flat stones called bakseok, which mark the burial site, without consulting on cultural heritage preservation measures.

The project was initiated during the previous mayor Heo Seonggon’s term, but Mayor Hong, currently in office, is being investigated as the representative.

Mayor Hong expressed his position through his personal social network service (SNS), saying, “I apologize for causing concern to the citizens of Gimhae due to this unfortunate incident. I will do my best to ensure that such incidents do not occur during my term,” and added, “I will sincerely cooperate with the investigation.”