Graffiti is still viewed as a social nuisance in South Korea, unlike some other countries where it is sometimes treated as art. Now, it seems that if South Korea’s government takes offense, graffiti can become an act of crime.

On May 13, Seoul Central District Court ruled that Park Jung-soo, a university lecturer, should pay a fine of 2 million won (about $1,850) for spray-painting a rat on dozens of G-20 Summit posters around Seoul just a few days before the event last November.

The logic behind the rat painting, according to Mr. Park, was the initial in “G-20” sounds like the Korean word for “rat.” But the prosecutors allege Mr. Park was making a derogatory statement about President Lee Myung-bak, the host of the summit.

The high-profile case triggered a debate on the government’s tolerance – or lack thereof – for freedom of expression. In early May, some prominent movie directors filed a petition for leniency for the rat painter. “It is an irony that the country can’t lightly parry this level of satire and humor while holding an internationally big event like G-20,” said Bong Joon-ho, one of the directors.

According to excerpts of court proceedings, prosecutors said that painting “an ominous creature like a rat” amounts to “an organized criminal activity.” Mr. Park “violently robbed our people and children of hope about Cheng-sa-cho-rong and prosperity,” they added referring to the lantern that symbolized the event by its Korean name, Cheong-sa-cho-rong.

The court ruled the rat grafitti “went beyond what freedom of expression allows,” though it rejected the 10 month prison term prosecutors sought for Mr. Park. A group of Mr. Park’s supporters are now selling t-shirts with the rat painting to raise money to pay his court fine.

Meanwhile, both sides appealed the case to a higher court.

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