Woman arrested for striking comfort woman statue
SEOUL, June 3 (Yonhap) -- Police on Friday apprehended a 33-year-old woman who struck a statue symbolizing the victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery with a hammer.
The woman, who has a history of schizophrenia, was caught at around 12:30 p.m. after she hit the statue in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul three to four times with a 40-cm-long hammer, investigators said.
The statue was not seriously damaged, they said.
Police said that she was rambling when she was asked why she damaged the statue.
Investigators found that she was hospitalized for three months some five years ago for schizophrenia, and for two months at a later time due to the same psychiatric problem.
The statue has been one of the thorny issues in the relations between South Korea and Japan. Tokyo has long demanded that the statue be removed, while Seoul has maintained that it has no authority to eliminate it given that it was erected by civic groups.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)
-
BTS' J-Hope closes Chicago's Lollapalooza festival
-
(2nd LD) Kim, Pelosi agree to support efforts for denuclearization of N. Korea
-
(LEAD) Assembly speaker meets with Pelosi amid heightened Sino-U.S. tensions
-
Assembly Speaker Kim to meet with U.S. House Speaker Pelosi this week
-
(LEAD) Yoon's approval rating falls to 28.9 pct
-
Court recognizes death after drinking with boss as workplace accident
-
150 front-line Army commandoes to conduct joint training at U.S. Army's National Training Center
-
Whereabouts of 55 Thai tourists on Jeju unknown
-
(2nd LD) S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases above 100,000 for 6th day
-
Deputy national security adviser resigns due to health reasons