Fire Destroys Historic Seoul Landmark
Chosun Ilbo
Feb. 10, 2007
Tom Coyner comments: While not on the order of tragedy of bridge or department store collapsing, when it comes to needless loss, the destruction of wooden structure at Namdaemun rates right up there. Latest reports is the building – or what’s left of it – is starting to collapse. To see a video of the fire, in its beginning phases, go to http://dory.mncast.com/partner_player/donga/donga/dongaPlayer.swf?movieID=10031671220080210233441&skinNum=1
While arson is suspected, it could have been some kind of electrical wiring failure – and conceivably by someone homeless seeking shelter and trying to keep warm by maintain a flame that got out of control.
As of today, the entire top layer is destroyed but the first story seems
to be basically okay since the clay within the roof smothered the flames
-- as it was designed to do.
Incidentally, it is doubtful how much of the wooden structure was original. The original building miraculously survived the Japanese invasion during the Imjin War. During the 20th century Japanese occupation, there was no maintenance as was common as the apparent Japanese policy was to allow national landmarks that were not bulldozed to be allowed to deteriorate as part of Japan's overall plan to integrate Korea into Japan proper. During the Korean War, once again the gate miraculously was spared a direct hit by bombs, but it was seriously damaged by tremors from near-by exploding bombs.
The gate, immediately following the Korean War
During the 1950's, Korea was too poor to spend money on landmarks
restoration, but as noted below, in 1962, the first serious renovation
was done. At that time, the
original silk calligraphy was found on the top beam that described the
raising of that beam and the ceremony feast that took place at that
time. During the
renovation, unfortunately, cheap substitutes were used to replace the
rotten, missing and broken bits of the original structure.
Given the shoddy restoration, a second restoration was done in
the early 1970's. In both
restorations, the wooden building was essentially disassembled and
reassembled using repaired and replaced parts.
So, it is hard to say how much of the original structure was
destroyed during last night's fire.
Most likely, much or even most of the damage was done to wood
that dates back to 1962 or later.
In any case, there is going to be a lot of finger pointing as to the lack of a sprinkler system or round-the-clock surveillance of a structure that is designated as National Treasure No. 1. It is a sorry shame this time -- and it is an unrecognized scandal that virtually none of Korea's wooden architectural treasures have any kind of sophisticated fire prevention system other than a few fire extinguishers of doubtful capacity -- plus some fire hydrants that require reaction time to come into effect.
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Chosun Ilbo
Feb. 10, 2007
| Fire destroyed perhaps Seoul’s most famous landmark on Sunday night when flames engulfed the Sungnyemun, more commonly known as Namdaemun or South Gate, the nation’s no.1 national treasure. Thirty-nine fire engines and 88 firefighters rushed to the scene at shortly before 9 p.m. on Sunday. The destruction of a six-century-old national treasure is being blamed on the misjudgment of firefighters and inept attempts to bring the fire under control at the initial stage. At 10:30 p.m., firefighters believed they had extinguished the flames, but it rekindled on the second floor and engulfed the gate. A taxi driver identified as Lee Sang-said he saw a man entering Namdaemun with a bag in his hand while waiting for a fare. “Several minutes later, a fire broke out on the second floor of the gate. I immediately reported it to police.” |
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Firefighters fought the blaze with ladders and fire hoses at 8:55 p.m. and by 10: 30 p.m. thought the fire was under control and focused on putting out smaller flames. But the blaze rekindled at 10:40 p.m. and burnt the roof out. It collapsed at 12:40 a.m. on Monday. At 12:00 a.m., firefighters belatedly tried to take the roof apart and douse the gate with water inside, but the effort failed and firefighters were reduced to watching the gate collapse while they sprinkled water around it at ground level.
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Arson Suspected in
Namdaemun Fire |
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.
'No. 1 national treasure', in Seoul, South Korea, Monday.
(Ahn Young-joon/The Associated Press)
Fire destroys centuries-old national treasure in Seoul
SEOUL, South Korea: 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 officials 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 South Korean 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 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.
Firefighters found two disposable lighters at the spot where they believed the fire broke out, indicting it may have been arson, Yonhap news agency said, citing fire official Oh Yong-kyu.
Oh could not be reached for comment at his office, and his cell phone was switched off.
Police analyzed the tapes from four closed-circuit TV cameras installed near the fire site but none of them showed any suspects, said Kim.
President-elect Lee Myung-bak visited the scene and deplored the destruction of Namdaemun, the namesake of Seoul's central district and a major tourist attraction.
"People's hearts will ache," he told officials as he received a briefing.
The South Korean government opened the landmark gate, officially named Sungnyemun, to public in 2006 for first time in nearly a century.
The gate carrying a plaque reading "The Gate of Exalted Ceremonies" in Chinese characters 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.
The Cultural Heritage Administration said it would take at least three years to fully restore the gate and it would cost some $21 million.