The Jongno Police Station in Seoul announced on August 12 that they had placed a 79-year-old man, identified as Kim, under emergency hospitalization after he wrote graffiti such as "President Trump" with a marker on the stone wall of Gwanghwamun at Gyeongbokgung Palace.
Emergency hospitalization is a measure that allows a person with a mental illness, or someone considered to pose a significant risk to themselves or others, to be admitted to a medical institution with the consent of a doctor and the police, for up to three days. The police explained, "Kim has been making statements that are not rational. Considering his advanced age in his seventies, his need for psychological stability, and the risk of repeat offenses, we decided to proceed with emergency hospitalization."
Kim was arrested the previous day on charges of violating the Cultural Heritage Protection Act after writing graffiti with an oil-based marker on the stone wall at Gwanghwamun, including phrases such as "A Message to the People and the World" and "President Trump." The graffiti covered an area approximately 1.7 meters wide and 0.3 meters high. The Cultural Heritage Administration installed a screen in front of Gwanghwamun and removed the graffiti about seven hours after starting the cleanup operation.
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