On the 6th, Professor Seo Gyeong-deok of Sungshin Women’s University raised concerns about damage to cultural properties after a Vietnamese female tourist posted a photo of herself doing yoga while leaning against the wall of Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul on social media. 2024.11.7 Professor Seo Kyung-deok’s SNS capture
Recently, controversy arose both at home and abroad over a Vietnamese woman practicing yoga while leaning against the wall of Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, but it has been reported that current regulations cannot stop such behavior outside the palace.
While visiting Korea on the 29th of last month, this woman, who lives in Hanoi, filmed herself wearing full-body leggings and doing yoga moves in front of the Gwanghwamun Stone Wall of Gyeongbokgung Palace on her cell phone.
When he posted the photos and videos on his social media (SNS) such as TikTok on the 3rd, criticism poured in from Vietnamese people who called them ‘unpleasant’ and ‘inappropriate’.
The woman then protested that the online criticism was excessive, saying that her actions “did not violate the regulations and the Gyeongbokgung Palace security personnel did not warn her.”
“Everyone has their own preferences, and we must respect differences,” he added.
A Vietnamese female tourist is causing controversy in Vietnam by posting a video of herself doing yoga in full-body leggings at Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul on social media. TikTok capture
Palace Relics Headquarters: “There is no basis to stop activities outside the palace.”
On the 7th, the Palace Ruins Headquarters of the National Heritage Administration announced that the place where the woman took the photo was on the stone wall road outside Gyeongbokgung Palace, across from Seoul Plaza, and that it was not within the grounds of Gyeongbokgung Palace, so there was no basis for stopping her.
If you wear yoga clothes and film yoga movements within the grounds of Gyeongbokgung Palace, you may be asked to leave. This is because it is an act that interferes with the viewing of visitors according to the ‘Regulations on viewing palaces and tombs, etc.’
Regulations on viewing palaces and tombs, etc., are in accordance with the Cultural Heritage Protection Act and establish rules for opening and viewing of the four major palaces (Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, Changgyeonggung Palace, and Deoksugung Palace), Jongmyo Shrine Management Office, King Sejong Relics Management Office, and Joseon Royal Tombs Management Office.
According to Article 6 of the regulations, entry is restricted to those who possess sports or amusement equipment, musical instruments, or loudspeakers, or who may interfere with the viewing of others by drinking, dressing, engaging in shamanic practices, speaking in tongues, disorderly morals, or other inappropriate behavior. Viewing may be suspended.
However, the authorities are considering measures in case similar incidents occur outside the palace in the future.
The Palace Relics Headquarters said, “We will take guidance measures if we discover behavior that is unsuitable for the image of the palace,” and added, “If physical shock, rather than simple physical contact, is applied to the wall, sanctions will be imposed upon discovery and, if necessary, a report to the police will be taken.”
He also announced that he plans to consider establishing regulations to prevent cases like the woman in question through future monitoring. The Palace Relics Headquarters said, “There are provisions for restricting entry and suspending viewing, but there are no specific provisions as in this case,” and added, “If necessary, we will reflect this in related regulations.”
On the morning of December 16 last year, red and blue spray-painted graffiti was written on the western wall of Gyeongbokgung Palace in the direction of the National Palace Museum in Jongno-gu, Seoul. 2023.12.16 Yonhap News
In accordance with the Cultural Heritage Protection Act, anyone who damages, steals, or conceals nationally designated cultural heritage or undermines its utility shall be punished by imprisonment for a term of three years or more.
Two teenagers who caused public outrage last year by covering the walls of Gyeongbokgung Palace with graffiti, and a man in his 30s who instigated this, are currently in trial for the first trial on charges of violating the Cultural Heritage Protection Act.
Reporter Yerim Yoon
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