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.
(Read on …)
