A suspect in his 30s who was arrested on charges of commissioning teenagers to paint graffiti on the walls of a historic palace in central Seoul last year fled while being investigated, only to be caught within two hours.

The suspect was being questioned at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Cyber Investigation Unit office at around 1:50 p.m. on Tuesday.

While it did not specify how he escaped the premises, the police managed to apprehend the escapee at around 3:40 p.m.

The suspect was arrested last Wednesday on charges of ordering teenagers to graffiti the Gyeongbokgung Palace, as well as other locations including the National Palace Museum of Korea in December 2023 in exchange for three million won, or around two thousand-200 U.S. dollars.

He faces charges of violating the Cultural Heritage Protection Act, as well as other charges including distribution of obscene materials.

The court issued a pretrial detention warrant on Saturday and the suspect was detained for questioning before fleeing.