Korea's National Treasure Succumbs to Fire

Seoul, KOREA—Around 8:50 p.m. on February 10, 2008, Korea's national treasure Sungnyemun (Gate of Respecting Propriety), was on fire. The authority sent 32 fire trucks and 128 firemen, bringing the fire under control in five hours.

The Sungnyemun, a.k.a. Namdaemun (The South Gate) was almost completely destroyed by the fire. No injuries have been reported.

At 8:48 p.m. on the February 10, smoke came out of the second floor of the Gate, located in the heart of Seoul. Soon fire emerged. The fire department first chopped off the symbolic inscribed wooden nameplate to slow down the fire and started spraying fire retardant chemicals into the structure.

At 11:55 p.m., the back of the Gate collapsed. At 1:05 a.m., one third of the second floor was gone. At 1:55 a.m., the rock foundation of the Gate and its stone sculptures on the roof top collapsed.

Sungnyemun, Korea's national treasure and a symbol of the capital city of Seoul. (The Epoch Times/ Kim Kuk-hwan)

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The fire started in the second floor that was made of wood. The fire department initially thought that sparks from wires started the fire. Later, it was discovered that there was no electric wiring installed on the second floor. The authority is looking at the possibility of arson. According to one witness, before the fire started, someone saw a man in his 60s enter the Gate using a ladder.

Despite all the efforts by the fire department, after five hours of struggle, the Gate still came down.

The Sungnyemun Gate was built in 1395. It took three years to complete the project. The Gate was the entrance of the Capital City, Hanseong (the old name of Seoul). It was the oldest wooden architecture in Seoul and the largest city entrance in Korea. The Gate was one of the best preserved structures from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).

In 1962, the Korean government declared it the number one national treasure and it was the symbol of the Korean capital. There used to be walls on either side of the Gate. The walls were taken down in 1908, leaving the lone standing Gate. The Gate had an arch-shaped opening and two floors of wood structures above.