The Turning Gate

Korea's National Treasure No. 1 destroyed in fire

The papers have finally caught up with the news. Namdaemun burned down to its stones last night. It’s a tragic loss for Korea. I was up until 3 a.m. watching the gate burn and collapse on television last night, wanting to cry.

The AP Story:

An overnight fire destroyed a 610-year-old landmark that was considered the top national treasure, officials said Monday. Police said the cause of the blaze was unclear but one official said arson was suspected.

The fire broke out Sunday night and burned down the wooden structure at the top of the Namdaemun gate that once formed part of a wall that encircled the capital.

Some 360 firefighters fought to bring the blaze under control, according to Lee Sang-joon, an official with the National Emergency Management Agency. No one was injured, he said.

Lee said that arson was suspected in the blaze. However, Kim Young-soo, the head of a police station in central Seoul handling the case, told a televised news conference said it was too early to make that conclusion.

The South Korean government opened the landmark gate, officially named Sungnyemun, to public in 2006 for first time in nearly a century.

The gate had been off-limits to the public since Japanese colonial authorities built an electric tramway nearby in 1907. Japan ruled the Korean Peninsula in 1910-45.

The gate was renovated in the 1960s and again in 2005.

From Yonhap:

A fire engulfed a six-century-old gate in the heart of Seoul overnight, with police suspecting it was caused by arson.

The wooden structure on the top of the stone gate was burnt down several hours after it caught fire late Sunday. The blaze appeared to be under control at one point, but it flared up again a few minutes later, spreading quickly as firefighters tried to
salvage what they could.

The landmark, officially called Sungnyemun, or “gate of exalted ceremonies,” was the southern gate of the walls that surrounded Seoul during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). It currently serves as a gateway to Namdaemun market, a traditional market that has been operating for centuries.

Construction of the gate began in 1395 and was finished in 1398 during the reign of King Taejo, who founded the Joseon Dynasty. The structure was renovated several times, most recently in 1962. The oldest wooden structure in Seoul, the gate was designated a National Treasure in 1962.

Police officials are still trying to find the cause of the fire, but believe it was arson. A taxi driver who reported the fire told police investigators that he saw a man in his 50s go up the stairs to the gate shortly before the blaze started.

The loss of the national treasure is expected to lead to severe criticism of the Cultural Heritage Administration, the government office in charge of maintaining cultural and historical artifacts,
including national treasures.

Firefighters said there were only eight fire extinguishers at the six-century gate. The incident comes less than three years after the country lost to fire one of its oldest Buddhist temples,
Naksan Temple, along with the temple’s bronze bell, also a National Treasure, in April 2005. Efforts to restore the 1,300-year old temple continue and are expected to cost over 10 billion won ($10 million).

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