ID :
44855
Mon, 02/09/2009 - 13:31
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/44855
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Nation to mark first anniversary of Namdaemun fire
By Shin Hae-in
SEOUL, Feb. 9 (Yonhap) -- The site where South Korea's No. 1 national treasure burned to the ground last year will be briefly opened to the public Tuesday to mark the first anniversary of the tragic event, the Cultural Heritage Administration said.
Namdaemun, an ancient gate that was the southern entrance to the city of Seoul
during the Joseon Dynasty and had stood for more than 600 years, went up in
flames on Feb. 10, 2008, falling victim to an elderly arsonist. It has been
closed off for reconstruction efforts ever since.
"All citizens will be allowed to visit the restoration site of Namdaemun for one
day on Tuesday, as part of a series of events looking back on its destruction,"
the administration said in a press release.
Visitors will be admitted without prior registration from 11 a.m to 5 p.m.
The government plans to fully restore the gate, also known as Sungnyemun, by
December 2012 at a cost of 25 billion won (US$18 million). The first of the
three-stage project has been completed.
Craftsmen are observing whether parts of the old gate are still sturdy enough to
be used in the new structure. Ten Korean red pine trees from the northeastern
Gangwon Province -- some as thick as 70 centimeters in diameter and as old as 100
years -- and more than 24,000 tiles will be used in restoring the gate. Each tile
will be handmade to make it lighter and to withstand the test of time, officials
at the culture ministry said.
"The gate will still look like ruins to people who are used to seeing its once
massive structure, but it is slowly regaining its past appearance," a ministry
official said. "We definitely will get it back -- fully."
In mourning the loss of the national monument, South Koreans blamed the
government for a lack of stronger security measures and not reacting fast enough
to prevent the fire from spreading.
Investigators described the arsonist, 69-year-old Chae Jong-gi, as undisturbed as
he climbed up the western wall of the gate using a ladder before sprinkling the
structure with paint thinner and setting it on fire.
Chae was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He said he was motivated by a desire to
get back at society after he was forcibly evicted from his home, and that the
gate was "easily accessible and lacked security measures."
More than 350 firefighters tried to stop the fire, but were instructed not to be
too "aggressive" due to concerns that certain rescue measures might cause further
damage. As a result, the fire, which started on the roof of the gate, roared out
of control and left the structure in ruins. No injuries were reported.
Feb. 10 has been designated as the "Cultural Heritage Disaster Prevention Day" by
the government, which has vowed that no such disaster will ever take place again.
Up to 145 cultural heritage organizations will be conducting fire drills from
Tuesday through Feb. 27. An exhibition displaying photographs of the former
Namdaemun will be held at the National Palace Museum of Korea through March 8.
SEOUL, Feb. 9 (Yonhap) -- The site where South Korea's No. 1 national treasure burned to the ground last year will be briefly opened to the public Tuesday to mark the first anniversary of the tragic event, the Cultural Heritage Administration said.
Namdaemun, an ancient gate that was the southern entrance to the city of Seoul
during the Joseon Dynasty and had stood for more than 600 years, went up in
flames on Feb. 10, 2008, falling victim to an elderly arsonist. It has been
closed off for reconstruction efforts ever since.
"All citizens will be allowed to visit the restoration site of Namdaemun for one
day on Tuesday, as part of a series of events looking back on its destruction,"
the administration said in a press release.
Visitors will be admitted without prior registration from 11 a.m to 5 p.m.
The government plans to fully restore the gate, also known as Sungnyemun, by
December 2012 at a cost of 25 billion won (US$18 million). The first of the
three-stage project has been completed.
Craftsmen are observing whether parts of the old gate are still sturdy enough to
be used in the new structure. Ten Korean red pine trees from the northeastern
Gangwon Province -- some as thick as 70 centimeters in diameter and as old as 100
years -- and more than 24,000 tiles will be used in restoring the gate. Each tile
will be handmade to make it lighter and to withstand the test of time, officials
at the culture ministry said.
"The gate will still look like ruins to people who are used to seeing its once
massive structure, but it is slowly regaining its past appearance," a ministry
official said. "We definitely will get it back -- fully."
In mourning the loss of the national monument, South Koreans blamed the
government for a lack of stronger security measures and not reacting fast enough
to prevent the fire from spreading.
Investigators described the arsonist, 69-year-old Chae Jong-gi, as undisturbed as
he climbed up the western wall of the gate using a ladder before sprinkling the
structure with paint thinner and setting it on fire.
Chae was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He said he was motivated by a desire to
get back at society after he was forcibly evicted from his home, and that the
gate was "easily accessible and lacked security measures."
More than 350 firefighters tried to stop the fire, but were instructed not to be
too "aggressive" due to concerns that certain rescue measures might cause further
damage. As a result, the fire, which started on the roof of the gate, roared out
of control and left the structure in ruins. No injuries were reported.
Feb. 10 has been designated as the "Cultural Heritage Disaster Prevention Day" by
the government, which has vowed that no such disaster will ever take place again.
Up to 145 cultural heritage organizations will be conducting fire drills from
Tuesday through Feb. 27. An exhibition displaying photographs of the former
Namdaemun will be held at the National Palace Museum of Korea through March 8.
