LOS ANGELES — A controversial statue in Southern California depicting a hanbok-wearing Korean girl who symbolizes the so-called “comfort women” forced to serve in brothels during Japanese colonization has been defaced for the second time this summer, according to police.

A suspect vandalized the copper statue using a black marker and knocked over surrounding potted plants on Sept. 16 morning in an incident that is currently under investigation, said a Glendale Police Department spokesman.

“Somebody approached the statue with a black marker and scribbled,” said Sergeant Dan Suttles, adding the suspect did not write anything legible.

“We are keeping an open mind with the possibility of a hate crime,” but there is no indication of the motivation at this time, he said.

Glendale police received the first report of the statue being vandalized with “a substance (possibly feces) and the potted plants around the monument being kicked over” on July 26, according to Suttles. The incident is still under investigation.

A surveillance camera installed following the earlier vandalism captured footage of the incident.