South Korean police found about 200 pins bearing the image of late North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il strewn near the country's main international airport on July 28, police officers said.
police were analysing security cameras to find how the 196 pins ended up in a flowered of hotel close to Incheon International Airport in western Seoul.
The possession of such lapel pins would be illegal in South Korea, where praising North Korea is punishable by up to seven years in prison.