“Carving a ‘Thousand-Year Love’ Could Mean Three Years in Prison?” ... Hwadam Forest Threatens Legal Action Over Birch-Tree Graffiti

[Financial News]  Hwadam Forest, in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, a popular autumn foliage destination, said it would take a hard line after repeated incidents of graffiti, including names carved into its birch trees.
On the 11th, Hwadam Forest posted a notice and photos on its official social media accounts (SNS) under the title “Prohibition of Tree Damage at Hwadam Forest.”
The photo released shows a birch tree with names, English initials and other marks carved into them with sharp objects.
Hwadam Forest said, “We recently confirmed acts of tree damage in which letters and marks were carved into some of the trees in the birch forest using sharp tools and other objects.” It noted, “Carving words into or injuring tree bark can adversely affect the trees’ growth and damages the precious natural environment of a forest we have cultivated over a long time.”
It continued, “All acts that damage trees—including carving letters or pictures into them, peeling off bark and breaking branches—are prohibited.” It warned, “If tree damage is confirmed, those responsible will be immediately removed without a separate warning, and legal action may be taken under relevant laws, depending on the case.”
Damaging another person’s tree may be punishable under the Criminal Act by up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 7 million won.
Hwadam Forest asked visitors to cooperate, saying, “Marks carved into birch trees are not easily erased, and it takes a long time for the trees to recover.”
Earlier, a witness account saying that a couple had been seen carving words into a birch tree with a stone at Hwadam Forest was posted on social media, drawing outrage. 
The poster, identified as A, uploaded a photo of a man and a woman crouching and carving something into a tree, saying, “Everyone who walked past looked at them, but they didn’t seem to care, so I watched closely and they seemed to be a Korean couple.” A added, “When I checked later, it said ○○♥○○.” They continued, “They were old enough—what were they doing that for, as if they were going to be in love for a thousand years? I took a photo and reported it to Hwadam Forest.”
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