"Looking for the Persimmon Tree Cutter"…70s Couple Offers 2 Million Won Reward

200 Million Won Bounty Posted in Wando Rural Village
Persimmon Trees Nurtured for 12 Years Cut Down Overnight

An incident occurred in Wando, Jeollanam-do, where 10 persimmon trees that had been cultivated for over 10 years were cut down overnight, prompting the police to launch an investigation.

On the 13th, Gwangju MBC reported that "a banner seeking witnesses to the 'persimmon tree cutting culprit' was hung in a rural village in Wando." According to the report, the banner read, "A cruel persimmon tree murder incident has occurred. This case could potentially lead to damage to someone else's crops and escalate into a serious crime, so if there are any witnesses, please be sure to contact us."

[Image source=Gwangju MBC broadcast screen]

The persimmon trees belong to a couple in their 70s who have been farming the nearby rice paddy for 12 years. Until the evening of the 7th, the trees were intact, but 10 out of 11 trees were cut down overnight. Currently, only the stumps remain. The couple, devastated, put up a banner offering a reward and seeking witnesses. They also reported to the police, believing that someone harbored a grudge and secretly cut down the trees before fleeing.

Mr. Lee, who suffered damage from the persimmon tree cutting, said, "I was exercising and came out to check, but all the persimmon trees had fallen." He added, "My heart trembled and my legs shook so much that I couldn't walk, as if something had happened to my child."

The police have secured nearby closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage and plan to identify and investigate the suspect as soon as possible.