2008 Namdaemun fire explained

Date:February 10, 2008
Time:8:50 p.m
Place:Seoul, South Korea
Coordinates:37.5597°N 126.9753°W
Cause:Arson
Casualties1: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

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.

Later investigations revealed that the fire was indeed an act of arson. A 69-year-old man, identified as Chae Jong-gi, 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. 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.

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

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Koreans mourn fall of Namdaemun, national treasure No.1. . February 11, 2008. February 14, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080214174704/http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2008/02/11/73/0302000000AEN20080211002100315F.HTML. February 14, 2008 . live.
  2. News: Korea's Historic Namdaemun Gate Toppled By Fire . Vivian Wai-yin . Kwok . . February 11, 2008 . February 13, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080214023019/http://www.forbes.com/2008/02/11/fire-destroys-namdaemun-face-markets-cx_vk_0211autofacescan01.html . February 14, 2008 . live . mdy .
  3. Web site: Namdaemun Great South Gate Fire Feb 10/2008 - a photoset on Flickr . September 19, 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080214202021/http://www.flickr.com/photos/pwalks/sets/72157603882436188/ . February 14, 2008 .
  4. News: Fire ravages South Korea landmark . . February 11, 2008 . February 11, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080212224514/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7238210.stm. February 12, 2008 . live.
  5. News: Man 'confesses to S Korea blaze' . . February 12, 2008 . February 13, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080213071558/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7240220.stm. February 13, 2008 . live.
  6. News: Kim Tae-jong . Suspect Admits Arson on Namdaemun . . December 12, 2008 . February 13, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080215193623/http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/02/113_18767.html . February 15, 2008 . dead . mdy .
  7. News: Man 'Arsonist Blames President Roh' . . February 14, 2008 . February 14, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080215193713/http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/02/117_18955.html . February 15, 2008 . live . mdy .
  8. News: Gate was 'easy to approach and poorly guarded'. Korea JoongAng Daily. February 13, 2008. March 18, 2008. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20090217235312/http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2886144. February 17, 2009. mdy-all.
  9. News: SKorea arsonist in Namdaemun fire had grudge over land dispute: police . Agence France-Presse . February 12, 2008 . February 13, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080215120645/http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5h4cfjlM7LVtJSzek6TNEkGbO61KA . February 15, 2008 . dead . mdy.
  10. News: Hyung-Jin Kim . Fire destroys South Korean landmark . Associated Press . Yahoo! News . February 11, 2008 . February 11, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080213091333/http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080211/ap_on_re_as/skorea_landmark_fire . February 13, 2008 . live . mdy .
  11. News: Suspect held after blaze guts South Korean landmark. The Times . London . February 12, 2008. February 13, 2008 . Will . Pavia.
  12. News: Namdaemun Arson Suspect Confesses . . February 13, 2008 . February 13, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080214210346/http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200802/200802130010.html . February 14, 2008 . dead . mdy .
  13. News: Arrest In Burning Of S. Korean Landmark . CBS News . February 12, 2008 . February 13, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080219210044/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/12/world/main3820290.shtml?source=search_story. February 19, 2008 . live.
  14. News: Choe Sang-Hun . South Korean Gate Destroyed in Fire . . February 12, 2008 . February 13, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090417073529/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/12/world/asia/12korea.html . April 17, 2009 . live . mdy .
  15. News: Three Years Needed for Restoration . Chung Ah-young . . February 11, 2008 . February 5, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090220115426/http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/02/113_18722.html . February 20, 2009 . live . mdy .
  16. News: Kim Yon-se . Donation for Gate Restoration Proposed . . February 12, 2008 . February 13, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080215193634/http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/02/116_18782.html . February 15, 2008 . live . mdy .
  17. News: Controversy erupts over fundraising for historic gate . . Shin Hae-in. February 13, 2008 . February 13, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080219003251/http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2008/02/13/42/0302000000AEN20080213003400315F.HTML. February 19, 2008 . live.
  18. News: Klug . Foster . April 29, 2013 . South Korea's landmark Namdaemun gate to reopen . . February 9, 2018.
  19. News: Cha . Frances . May 9, 2013 . South Korea's No. 1 national treasure reopens after five years . . February 9, 2018.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "2008 Namdaemun fire".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.