Namdaemun Set On Fire
There was a fire at Namdaemun/Sungnyemun, which is a historic gate located in the heart of Seoul, South Korea. According to a witness taxicab driver, while he was waiting for a customer he saw a man in his fifties walk up the stairs to the gate and later saw sparks coming from the area. Soon after the man walked down the stairs and left the area. The taxi driver drove around the area trying to find the man, but was unsuccessful. Here is the editorial posted in the Korea Times.
- Arson Suspected in Namdaemun Fire
By Lee Hyo-sik
Staff Reporter
A fire broke out at Sungnyemun _ more commonly known as Namdaemun, meaning South Gate in Korean _ a historic structure from the Joseon Kingdom located in the center of Seoul, Sunday night, causing a major problem for firefighters.
The fire occurred around 8:50 p.m., police said. About 30 fire trucks along with 90 firefighters rushed to the scene to bring the blaze under control. There were no reports of any casualties and the cause of the fire has yet to be determined, they said.
According to firefighters, Namdaemun did not seem to sustain major damage other than minor burning to the area underneath the roof.
Police suspect someone deliberately started the fire as a taxi driver, identified only by his surname Lee, said he saw a man in his 50s go up the stairs of the gate with a shopping bag, while he was waiting to pick up a customer in the nearby area.
Lee said he then saw a spark like a firework and reported it to police, adding the man came down the stairs afterwards. The taxi driver said he drove around looking for the man but could not find him.
About 40 police officers were dispatched to the scene and questioned eyewitnesses to identify the cause of the blaze. Also, some roads were blocked to traffic as firefighters put out the fire.
Namdaemun, the oldest wooden structure in Seoul, was originally built in 1398 and then renovated in 1962, following its destruction during the Korean War. It was given the status of National Treasure No. 1.
That last picture just breaks my heart. This whole situation is such a tragedy. I’m not Korean nor do I really understand the significance of Namdaemun, but I can sympathize with what Koreans are feeling from this news. The gate was a treasure to South Koreans (maybe North Koreans too, I’m not sure). It is so heart breaking to know that someone did this on purpose. Thankfully only the roof was severly damaged. I hope they can restore the gate and have it fully functioning soon. And I really hope celebrities don’t use this tragedy for their own promotion. Actions like that just sicken me.
I’m sure this is how most people want to remember Namdaemun.
References:
1. Korea Times article: News story
2. Oroville & : Pictures
Links:
1. WIKI page: Info and pics of Namdaemun
2. pwalks’ Flickr: Picture of Namdaemun on fire
