KOREA:South Koreans mourned the loss of the country's most important cultural monument yesterday after a fire devastated the 610-year-old Namdaemun gate in the heart of Seoul, destroying its magnificent wooden roof.
Namdaemun, or Great South Gate, is designated the state's number one national treasure. Dating back to the beginning of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), it is the oldest wooden structure in the capital.
"People's hearts will ache," said president-elect Lee Myung-bak, visiting the scene. The culture ministry said the gate was one of the few links to Korea's heritage left in Seoul.
According to local media, the fire, which broke out on Sunday night, appeared to be tamed at one point by the 360 firefighters. But they were so cautious about damaging the structure that they did not hack their way inside to extinguish the source of the blaze, and it roared back out of control.
"Without doubt the fire could have been controlled in the early stage," Prof Lee Su-kyung of Seoul
National University of Technology,
said.
Investigators are looking into a report of a man igniting a spark at the gate, and firefighters found two disposable lighters at the scene, Yonhap news agency reported. But police found no CCTV footage showing a suspect. They said an electrical fault had not been ruled out.
Officials said the gate could be reconstructed using measurements made two years ago. Rebuilding would take at least three years and cost about 20 billion won (€14 million).