A man practicing golf in front of the tomb of King Naemul from the Silla Dynasty has been captured on camera, stirring controversy. The story has gone viral after a foreign tourist witnessed the incident and asked, "Can one play golf even at a royal tomb in Korea?"
According to reports from the city of Gyeongju and JTBC on the 26th, A, a foreign tourist who visited Naemulwangneung in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, on the 19th, spotted a man taking a golf practice stance near the royal tomb. A took a photo of the scene and shared it with his Korean friend B, who expressed disbelief, saying, "This is outrageous."
Following this, B's mother filed a complaint with Gyeongju City, bringing the incident to light. The man in the photo is seen dressed in a white top and black pants, holding a long club and assuming a golf swing stance.
Gyeongju City is reportedly struggling to identify the man as there are no CCTV cameras installed near the royal tomb. A city official noted, "If the identity of the person who played golf is confirmed, they could face up to two years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won in accordance with the Cultural Heritage Preservation and Utilization Act."
Additionally, it was mentioned that there are about 290 historic sites currently under the jurisdiction of Gyeongju City, with nine personnel patrolling those areas. The official added, "We will strengthen patrol personnel and management systems in light of this incident."
Naemulwangneung is the tomb of King Naemul, the 17th ruler of Silla (reigned 356-402), and was designated as Historic Site No. 188, "Silla Naemulwangneung," in 1969. The name was changed to "Gyeongju Naemulwangneung" in 2011. It is known as a prominent heritage site frequently visited by domestic and international tourists, located in the heart of Gyeongju.