Countermeasures Announced After Series of Thefts and Mocking Videos
More Surveillance Cameras and Police Officers to Be Deployed Inside the Museum
The Louvre Museum in Paris, France, which recently suffered the theft of exhibits worth approximately 140 billion won, including crowns and jewels, has decided to install additional surveillance cameras and create a new security position to prevent further incidents.
According to foreign media outlets such as AP and AFP, the Louvre Museum announced on the 19th (local time) an emergency response plan consisting of 20 measures to address theft cases.
First, the museum plans to install about 100 additional surveillance cameras around the premises by next year to enhance monitoring. In addition, it will introduce an "intrusion prevention system" to stop unauthorized individuals from approaching the museum building. The museum stated that installation of this system will begin within two weeks.
Changes will also be made to the security organization. The museum will establish a new position of "Security Coordinator" to oversee its security policies and will also station police officers inside the museum.
Previously, on October 19, the Louvre Museum suffered a blow to its reputation when exhibits were stolen. At that time, a group of four used a ladder truck to break into the Apollo Gallery, which houses the royal jewelry collection, and stole eight pieces of jewelry in just seven minutes before fleeing the scene.
The stolen items reportedly include an emerald and diamond necklace that Napoleon I gave to his second wife, Empress Marie Louise, and a crown adorned with 212 pearls and about 2,000 diamonds that belonged to the wife of Napoleon III, with a total value estimated at approximately 149.9 billion won.
Subsequently, on the 15th, two TikTokers from Belgium mocked the Louvre's security measures by hanging their own artwork near Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa and sneaking out undetected. They filmed and shared online the entire process, from entering the museum to passing through security checkpoints, claiming they were inspecting the Louvre's security system after the royal jewels were stolen. This incident once again exposed vulnerabilities in the museum's security.
Laurence des Cars, Director of the Louvre Museum, stated, "I acknowledge responsibility for the various issues revealed by the theft incident." Director des Cars identified strengthening security as a core task in the "Louvre New Renaissance" plan, a 10-year project worth 800 million euros (1.35 trillion won) that began this year.
Meanwhile, while the four suspects in the Louvre Museum theft have been arrested, the stolen jewels have not yet been recovered.
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