"'Oppa Saranghae' Graffiti... Foreign YouTuber Angrily Says 'Koreans, Confess'"

Seoul Beopjeong-dong 467 Locations Introduction Project
Graffiti like 'Oppa Saranghae' on Exhibition Map
Perpetrator Not Caught... CCTV Under Review

A map exhibition by a Dutch resident in Korea, planned with the intention of visiting and introducing all 467 neighborhoods (dong) in Seoul's legal districts, was halted due to vandalism.

Bart van Gneutten (31), the operator of the YouTube channel 'iGoBart,' wrote on his Instagram account on the 15th, "Some crazy people damaged my map," adding, "I can't believe someone would do such a thing."

There are scribbles on the map on display. [Image source: Screenshot from 'Aigobat' Instagram]

He had planned to hold an exhibition titled "Exploring My Neighborhood: Finding 467 Neighborhoods," from the 9th to the 23rd in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, showcasing a map he colorfully painted with various colors to represent the neighborhoods he visited. Van Gneutten explained the purpose of the exhibition as "to stimulate curiosity about Seoul's lesser-known neighborhoods and inspire visitors to explore these hidden spaces and collectively record and preserve places that might soon disappear." However, some thoughtless visitors vandalized the map with graffiti, causing the exhibition to close earlier than planned.

The photos of the map that Van Gneutten shared showed multiple graffiti messages written in red and green pens, such as "OhXX Album Fighting!", "Oppa, I love you ♡", and "HanXX, after hardship comes happiness, cheering for you." He said, "I'm reviewing CCTV footage, but I really have no power to do anything," adding, "I invested sweat, tears, and money into this map, and it's shocking that someone would ruin it like this." He continued, "What on earth is going on? If you read this message, please turn yourself in," and criticized the vandals by saying, "You are not a fan." Finally, he wrote, "I have decided that today will be the last day of this exhibition," and "I cannot guarantee the map will be safe without me. I will be at the gallery today."

Mr. Bart van Gneut standing in front of the Seoul map he created
[Image source=Instagram capture from 'Aigobat']

Netizens who read this post comforted Van Gneutten and strongly condemned the vandals. Comments included, "Please take legal action. They need to face serious consequences," "I don't know how to comfort you... I hope those ignorant people are found and punished," "As a fellow Korean, I am ashamed and sorry," "This is so upsetting," and "I apologize on your behalf."

Van Gneutten holds a master's degree in human geography focusing on conflict, territory, and identity from Radboud University and is currently a full-time YouTuber. His YouTube channel, with 220,000 subscribers, features documentary vlogs on various topics such as Korean War veterans, North Korea, and travel in Korea.