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2008 Namdaemun fire

Coordinates: 37°33′35″N 126°58′31″E / 37.55972°N 126.97528°E / 37.55972; 126.97528
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Aftermath of the Namdaemun fire.
Before the Namdaemun fire.

The 2008 Namdaemun fire, a fire set by Korean arsonist Chae Jong-gi (Hangul: 채종기), severely damaged the Namdaemun, one of the most historically significant gates in Seoul, South Korea, and the first of Korea's National Treasures, on February 10, 2008.

The fire

At approximately 8:50 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2008, a fire broke out and severely damaged the wooden structure at the top of the gate. By late Sunday night, firefighters said they believed that they had contained the fire. Firefighters were instructed by officials not to be aggressive in fighting the fire out of fear that the structure would be damaged by the effort itself.[1]

After midnight, the fire got out of control and destroyed the structure, despite the efforts of more than 360 firefighters.[2][3] No injuries were reported.[4]

The fire was set by Chae Jong-gi, who came to Namdaemun around 8:35 pm on Sunday 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, used the ladder to enter the tower, and walked up to the second floor. Chae sprinkled the floor with the paint thinner, thus starting the conflagration.[5]

Arsonist

Originally, the fire was suspected to be accidental. However, many witnesses reported seeing a suspicious man shortly before the fire, and two disposable lighters were found where the fire was believed to have started.[2]

A 69-year-old man identified as Chae Jong-gi was arrested on suspicion of arson and confessed to the crime 30 minutes after his arrest.[6][7][8] A police captain reported that Mr. Chae sprayed paint thinner on the floor of the building and then set it on fire.[9] Police say that Mr. Chae was upset about not having been paid in full for land he had sold to developers.[7] The same man had been charged with setting a fire at Changgyeong Palace in Seoul in 2006.[10]

The reason he targeted Namdaemun was because it was easily accessible and was only secured by motion sensor detectors.[11] He also considered attacking trains or buses, but decided not to due to the high number of casualties this would cause.[12]

Aftermath

File:Sungnyemun After Fire 20080213 02.jpg
Koreans mourn the loss of Namdaemun, which had been designated as National Monument No. 1.

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]

Gallery

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. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ a b 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. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ http://flickr.com/photos/pwalks/sets/72157603882436188/
  4. ^ "Fire ravages South Korea landmark". BBC News. February 11, 2008. Archived from the original on February 12, 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2008. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ "Gate was 'easy to approach and poorly guarded'". JoongAng Daily. February 13, 2008. Retrieved March 18, 2008.
  6. ^ "Man 'confesses to S Korea blaze'". BBC News. February 12, 2008. Archived from the original on February 13, 2008. Retrieved February 13, 2008. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ a b 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. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ "Man 'Arsonist Blames President Roh'". Korea Times. February 14, 2008. Archived from the original on February 15, 2008. Retrieved February 14, 2008. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ "SKorea arsonist in Namdaemun fire had grudge over land dispute: police". Google. Agence France-Presse. February 12, 2008. Archived from the original on February 15, 2008. Retrieved February 13, 2008. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  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. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ Choe Sang-Hun (February 12, 2008). "South Korean Gate Destroyed in Fire". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 14, 2008. Retrieved February 13, 2008. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  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. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  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. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  17. ^ a b 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. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2008 Sungnyemun fire.

37°33′35″N 126°58′31″E / 37.55972°N 126.97528°E / 37.55972; 126.97528

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