2008 Namdaemun fire
Namdaemun on fire
DateFebruary 10, 2008
Time8:50 p.m
LocationSeoul, South Korea
Coordinates37°33′35″N 126°58′31″E / 37.55972°N 126.97528°E / 37.55972; 126.97528
CauseArson
Casualties
None

On February 10, 2008, an arsonist set fire to the historic Namdaemun gate (officially "Sungnyemun") in Seoul, South Korea, causing severe damage to the 550-year-old structure. The monument was subsequently restored and reopened to the public in 2013.

Fire

The fire reportedly broke out at approximately 8:50 p.m. on Sunday, February 10, 2008. Firefighters soon arrived on the scene and started dousing the blaze with water in an attempt to extinguish the fire. Initially, the effort seemed successful: by late Sunday night, firefighters said they believed that they had contained the fire, with only minimal damage done to the wooden structure topping the otherwise stone structure. According to reports, they had been instructed by authorities not to be aggressive in fighting the fire out of fear that the structure would be damaged by the high-pressure water.[1]

After midnight, however, the dying fire suddenly reignited, quickly getting out of control. Despite the efforts of the more than 360 firefighters who were at the scene, the fire soon ended up destroying the entire wooden structure and causing substantial damage to the stone walls.[2][3] The fire did not result in any injuries.[4]

Arsonist

Namdaemun before the fire (left) and after

Originally, the fire had been suspected to be accidental. However, many witnesses reported seeing someone enter the gate shortly before the fire, and two disposable lighters were found where the fire was believed to have started.[2]

Later investigations revealed that the fire was indeed an act of arson. A 69-year-old man, identified as Chae Jong-gi (Korean: 채종기; Hanja: 蔡宗基), was taken into police custody on February 12, on the suspicion that it was he who started the fire. Chae confessed to the crime 30 minutes after his arrest.[5][6][7] According to police reports, Chae arrived at Namdaemun around 8:35 p.m. carrying an aluminum ladder, three 1.5-liter bottles of paint thinner, and two cigarette lighters. With the ladder, he climbed the western wall of the gate, entered the gate, and walked up to the second floor. There, he started the fire by sprinkling the floor with paint thinner and lighting it.[8] Chae stated that he had started the fire because he was upset about not having been paid in full for land he had sold to developers.[6] Chae had also been charged with setting fire to the Changgyeong Palace complex in Seoul in 2006.[9][10]

The reason he targeted Namdaemun was because it was easily accessible and was only secured by motion sensors.[11] He also considered attacking trains or buses, but decided against it due to the high number of casualties this would cause.[12]

Aftermath


South Korean newspapers blamed the government for failing to provide more security.[13]

The Cultural Heritage Administration of South Korea stated that it would take three years and $21 million to rebuild and restore the historic gate.[14] In 2006, 182 pages of blueprints of the gate had been made as a contingency measure against possible damages, making reconstruction possible.[15]

President Lee Myung-bak proposed starting a private donation campaign to finance the restoration of the gate.[16] Many people felt that the government should pay for the restoration because it had failed to adequately protect the structure.[17] Lee's transitional committee clarified the president-elect's comments by stating that the government would pay for the majority of the restoration.[17]

The restored gate reopened to the public on May 5, 2013, having been rebuilt using traditional tools and techniques. The project cost 25 billion won to complete and includes new fire suppression systems and closed-circuit television cameras.[18][19]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Koreans mourn fall of Namdaemun, national treasure No.1". Yonhap News. February 11, 2008. Archived from the original on February 14, 2008. Retrieved February 14, 2008.
  2. 1 2 Kwok, Vivian Wai-yin (February 11, 2008). "Korea's Historic Namdaemun Gate Toppled By Fire". Forbes. Archived from the original on February 14, 2008. Retrieved February 13, 2008.
  3. ↑ "Namdaemun Great South Gate Fire Feb 10/2008 - a photoset on Flickr". Archived from the original on February 14, 2008. Retrieved September 19, 2008.
  4. ↑ "Fire ravages South Korea landmark". BBC News. February 11, 2008. Archived from the original on February 12, 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2008.
  5. ↑ "Man 'confesses to S Korea blaze'". BBC News. February 12, 2008. Archived from the original on February 13, 2008. Retrieved February 13, 2008.
  6. 1 2 Kim Tae-jong (December 12, 2008). "Suspect Admits Arson on Namdaemun". Korea Times. Archived from the original on February 15, 2008. Retrieved February 13, 2008.
  7. ↑ "Man 'Arsonist Blames President Roh'". Korea Times. February 14, 2008. Archived from the original on February 15, 2008. Retrieved February 14, 2008.
  8. ↑ "Gate was 'easy to approach and poorly guarded'". JoongAng Daily. February 13, 2008. Archived from the original on February 17, 2009. Retrieved March 18, 2008.
  9. ↑ "SKorea arsonist in Namdaemun fire had grudge over land dispute: police". Agence France-Presse. February 12, 2008. Archived from the original on February 15, 2008. Retrieved February 13, 2008.
  10. ↑ Hyung-Jin Kim (February 11, 2008). "Fire destroys South Korean landmark". Yahoo! News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on February 13, 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2008.
  11. ↑ Pavia, Will (February 12, 2008). "Suspect held after blaze guts South Korean landmark". The Times. London. Retrieved February 13, 2008.
  12. ↑ "Namdaemun Arson Suspect Confesses". The Chosun Ilbo. February 13, 2008. Archived from the original on February 14, 2008. Retrieved February 13, 2008.
  13. ↑ "Arrest In Burning Of S. Korean Landmark". CBS News. February 12, 2008. Archived from the original on February 19, 2008. Retrieved February 13, 2008.
  14. ↑ Choe Sang-Hun (February 12, 2008). "South Korean Gate Destroyed in Fire". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 17, 2009. Retrieved February 13, 2008.
  15. ↑ Chung Ah-young (February 11, 2008). "Three Years Needed for Restoration". Korea Times. Archived from the original on February 20, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
  16. ↑ Kim Yon-se (February 12, 2008). "Donation for Gate Restoration Proposed". Korea Times. Archived from the original on February 15, 2008. Retrieved February 13, 2008.
  17. 1 2 Shin Hae-in (February 13, 2008). "Controversy erupts over fundraising for historic gate". Yonhap News. Archived from the original on February 19, 2008. Retrieved February 13, 2008.
  18. ↑ Klug, Foster (April 29, 2013). "South Korea's landmark Namdaemun gate to reopen". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  19. ↑ Cha, Frances (May 9, 2013). "South Korea's No. 1 national treasure reopens after five years". CNN. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
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