Two suspects in Busan subway graffiti vandalism flee country ahead of police

Two suspects who broke into a Busan subway depot and spray-painted graffiti on trains have fled the country, evading police.

The Busan Gangseo Police Station has issued Interpol red notices for the two suspects — a man in his 20s with Australian citizenship and a man in his 30s with Belgian citizenship — on charges of property destruction, according to Newsis.

Police said the two broke into the Daejeo depot of the Busan Metro in Gangseo-gu early June 23 and used lacquer spray to paint graffiti on two exterior sections of a train waiting to enter service before fleeing the scene.

They escaped the site within about 18 minutes of committing the act.

Investigators initially believed the suspects were a man and a woman, but police later identified them as two foreign men. They left for Brunei on the morning of June 24 — the day after the incident — police said.

During their flight, the suspects wore masks, changed clothes multiple times, got off at different stops and walked separately to avoid appearing to be together, and used only cash — all in an apparent effort to confuse investigators before leaving the country, police said.

Police plan to seek the extradition of both suspects through Interpol. Authorities are also reviewing options for civil damages and notification upon any future entry into South Korea.

A similar incident occurred in September 2022, when two foreigners broke into the Sinpyeong and Hopo depots and spray-painted graffiti on the exteriors of trains on Lines 1 and 2 before fleeing.

One of the perpetrators was later forcibly extradited from Romania through an Interpol red notice. The Busan Transportation Corporation recovered 7.6 million won ($4,920) in damages, covering costs for fence repairs and train restoration.

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