A photo of a white SUV parked atop a tomb in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, was posted on Bobaedream, a South Korean internet community for car lovers, Sunday. (Bobaedream)
The city government of Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, plans to sue the driver of the vehicle that was photographed parked atop a Silla Kingdom tomb, a city official said Wednesday.
The official added while there was no visible damage to the tomb, a thorough examination will be conducted to determine any harm done to it. Even if no damages are discovered, the city will sue for illegal parking, the official told The Korea Herald.
“It appears the driver drove through the fence surrounding the tomb,” the official said.
The city has not yet identified the driver.
The Cultural Heritage Administration said Wednesday that the tomb is Jjokssaem Tomb No. 79, which has yet to be excavated for studies. It also said tire marks were found on the tomb.
The tomb is located among several ancient tombs of the royal family and nobility from the Silla Kingdom (57 BC to 935) clustered in Gyeongju.
A picture of a white sport utility vehicle parked on top of the tomb went viral Sunday, leading to a public outcry.
According to the Gyeongju city government, the photo was taken around 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. The car was briefly parked on top of the 10-meter-high tomb before the driver left.
By Song Seung-hyun (
ssh@heraldcorp.com)
