Reactions from Korean about the arson attack that destroyed Korea’s 610 year old National Treasure No. 1, the Namdaemun (Sungnyemun) Gate have ranged from outright anger, sadness, to even the bizarre:
Oriental topography experts said the fire at Seoul’s 600-year-old structure may have something to do with the mysterious “fire-torching” energy from a mountain in southern Seoul.
“From the perspective of Oriental topography, it is possible that the energy torched the fire,” said Jeon Hang-soo, head of Korea Oriental Topography Research Center. “Basically, Seoul is more densely filled with the energy than any other cities due to the shape of mountaintops surrounding the city ? spiky and sharp. Mount Gwanak in Southern Seoul notably has the characteristic.” (…)
Some experts in Oriental topography said the number of crimes in the capital might increase in the aftermath of the gate’s collapse.
“As Namdaemun, having served as a guardian restraining the `hot-temper’ and `easy-fighting’ energies from Mount Gwanak disappears, we will see the number of crimes in the capital escalating until its restoration,” predicted head of the topography research center. “The restoration of Cheonggye stream has largely contributed to mixing the hostile energy with peaceful one from the manmade waterway, resulting in weakening the violent energy.” [Korea Times]
This is great news, the next time a GI or a low quality foreign English teacher commits a crime in Korea they can blame it on the “mysterious fire torching energy” from Gwanak Mountain that burned down the Sungnyemun Gate.
Koreans view the damage to Namdaemun Gate
Another bizarre response came with the front page article in the nation’s largest newspaper the Chosun Ilbo:
Koreans were reaching for the superlatives on Monday. “The Korean equivalent of the 9/11 attacks happened while the whole country was watching.” “The Republic of Korea’s no. 1 National Treasure or no. 1 national pride turned to ashes in an instant.” (…)
Baek Sang-bin, a professor of psychiatry at Gangneung Asan Hospital of the University of Ulsan said, “Just as Americans were thrown into a panic after watching on TV the World Trade Center buildings, the symbol of the U.S., collapse in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Koreans now feel a great sense of loss and frustration at the sight of the Namdaemun collapse. The disaster in Seoul didn’t pose any threat to their lives. But they psychologically felt the equivalent of feelings the American had in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.” If they happen to watch the scene of a disaster with their own eyes, people regard its consequences as happening to them personally and feel great unease and panic, Baek added. [Chosun Ilbo]
I think this is just another example of how people in the world in general, not just Koreans do not understand what the 9/11 attacks really meant. 9/11 wasn’t just about buildings falling down but about a loss of life and how American life was about to drastically change. Nobody died with the gate burning down and Korea isn’t about to go to war with anyone over it either. The gate will be rebuilt and life will go on in Seoul, for the people in New York, Washington, DC, and America in general life will never be same for a long, long time. More proper analogy would be if the Statue of Liberty burned down and fell into New York harbor, not 9/11.
Enough of the bizarre, most people interviewed seemed to be genuinely very saddened by the destruction of the gate:
“I could not believe my ears when I heard the news. It was our pride. How could such a thing happen?” 25-year-old university student Kim Sun-mi said. “This is really heart-breaking and I thought I had to come and see,” she added while clicking away with her camera to get pictures of the tragic site.
“It’s really a shame. I have worked in this area for seven years, but never imagined such thing could happen,” a street vender selling egg buns said. [Korea Times]
Some people especially netizens were extremely angry at the government for not properly protecting the gate:
Internet users expressed their fury toward the government for having failed to manage such valuable national asset. The Web site of the Cultural Heritage Administration was abuzz with criticisms toward the office’s staff for having had an alleged laid-back attitude at the beginning of the fire.
It was reported that the administration and fire fighters could not decide on how aggressively they should fight the fire for fear of unnecessarily damaging the highly valued building.
A netizen who identified herself as Kim Yun-mi, a mother of two, said government officials should take responsibility for the tragedy. “I could not give any answers to my children as to why the building could not be saved,” she said.
The administration drew more blame upon itself when it was later revealed that 23-year-old Kim Young-hun had warned the authorities last year of a possible arson attack on Namdaemun also known as Sungnyemun.
Civic groups also expressed regrets. The Young Korean Academy said the fire was a “manmade disaster.” “If there was not enough protection, they should have not opened the gate to the public,” it said. [Korea Times]
Others people directed their anger towards the arsonist who set fire to the gate:
Thousands of people gathered around the base of the charred gate Monday, and many said they were shocked and angry at the arsonist, and at the South Korean government for not protecting the historic structure.
“Whoever is found guilty, he should be executed in front of Namdaemun,” said Ahn Myung-su, 70, who traveled 90 minutes by subway to visit the site Monday.
Her friend, 67-year-old Kim Jeong-suk, agreed.
“He deserves to be put to death by every single Korean throwing rocks and stones at him in front of the gate,” she said, crying. “His entire family should be killed, too.” [Stars & Stripes]
That sounds like some pretty pissed off people. I don’t think they will get their chance to stone him or kill his family but at least the arsonist has been captured:
A 70-year-old man has confessed that he set a fire to the country’s No. 1 national treasure, police said Tuesday.
Police officers have inquired the suspect, identified by his last name Chae, since late Monday after discovering at his home clothes and a bag similar to those described by witnesses who told police they saw a man appearing to be in his 60s near Namdaemun, the site of the fire, with a backpack and a ladder.
A bottle of paint thinner was also found at the suspect’s home, police said.
Police said Chae was apprehended on Ganghwa Island, west of Seoul, on Monday on suspicions of setting a fire that crumbled down Namdaemun (South Gate), a 600-year-old gate in the capital, on Sunday night.
He was confirmed to be the arsonist who set ablaze a part of a former royal palace, Changgyeong, in central Seoul in April 2006 and caused some 4 million won in damage.
Police said that he seemed to commit similar crime again in anger against the alleged wrong handling of the compensation for his land confiscated for housing construction, which he had claimed when arrested for the arson of the Changgyeong Palace in 2006. [Korea Times]
Pretty outrageous that this guy torched another Korean cultural asset and was allowed to torch another one because no security was put around it. Personally I blame Japan. Hopefully the proper authorities will be held responsible for allowing this happen because this is quite a disaster and hopefully leads to improved security of Korea’s remaining cultural assets.
Note: Roboseyo has pictures of the remains of Namdaemun Gate and reactions of the Koreans watching the scene that are worth checking out.
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6:06 am on February 13th, 2008 1
I didn’t have time to read the whole post right now, but I’ve been thinking recently that American society has just about returned to the pre-9/11 state — if you don’t count the two wars that are on going. I think if a Democrat wins the White House, we will be back in the 1990s. The Patriot Act will be removed or watered down. I think overall, the people in the nation silently consider 9/11 as an abnormal blip on the screen. I don’t think we have fundamentally changed much at all……
7:02 am on February 13th, 2008 2
I’ve been thinking recently that American society has just about returned to the pre-9/11 state — if you don’t count the two wars that are on going.
I just about spat my tea on my computer screen when I read that.
7:57 am on February 13th, 2008 3
There isn’t any ‘wars’ going on (war in the traditional sense) . The war in Iraq is over. What’s left is the reconstruction project. We’re training their police / security forces and defending Iraq from what’s left of the Al Qaeda. I don’t even consider the insurgents as guerrilla fighters. They’re manipulating mentally disabled women to carry out bomb attacks now.
This event reminds me of how American troops failed to prevent rioters from looting precious artifacts from Iraqi museum. Not a wise move, but it was during wartime.
The arsonist in this case is a 70 year old man suspected of arson in the past (fueled by grudge against the gov). The government deserves some blame for not taking the initiative. Sadly, I don’t believe this man will get a fair trial.
8:01 am on February 13th, 2008 4
I haven’t been back in the states in quite some time but I think like Sonagi expressed that as long as two wars are going on life will not be the same though I get the sense things are improving. For example I find it encouraging that the presidential election is going to be about domestic issues instead of replaying the 2004 election again over the Iraq War.
9:06 am on February 13th, 2008 5
Yeah. The burning down of this gate isn’t 9/11.
But don’t underestimate the significance that this monument had on the peoples. Not only was it declared the #1 national treasure… it is the national symbol. One that evokes pride.
Anyway, the man was pissed off that he got ripped off by a developer (and the government probably didn’t give a rat’s ass). In addition, the gate being open for tourism (which = monies) both added up to this. The two factors both have to do with Korea’s ever increasing loss of a lot of stuff in exchange for the only thing that seems to be on Korean people’s minds, economy.
The irony in that they LITERALLY lost a physical piece of culture is pretty evident. Its a manifestation of the loss of all scrupples. I hope this acts as a reality slap and refocusing of priorities. And hopefully the combination of many koreans feeling sad AND embarassed is an indication of that.
Thanks for the post btw. It was very informative.
11:39 am on February 13th, 2008 6
I don’t take anything away from the loss of the gate. It wasn’t 9/11 but it is certainly a national tragedy that can’t be redeemed.
However…
I think the two conflicts we are in have not driven us far from a mentality and environment like pre-9/11.
We certainly aren’t in a very patriotic period where soldiers and the commander in chief are glorified and can do little wrong. This is not a WWII generational moment…
….it also isn’t a Vietnam. Whatever bitter opposition there is to the war and Bush among the nutroots, it hasn’t and isn’t gaining widespread momentum among the masses…
In the 1990s, a segment of the Republican party detested Clinton to an unhealthy degree and kept him in court continuously and politics at the top was very mean spirited — like when Newt Gingrich and the Republicans took over the House….
…..Today we have exactly the same with Bush — but it all doesn’t bleed down into the society to the point of some fundamental change - and it isn’t connected much to 9/11.
I’d say the way in which Bush won the first presidency has had more of a lasting impact on American society overall than 9/11…
…..and that is pretty pathetic…..
In short, I can’t say that we are any more unified or fragmented than we were pre-9/11 —- though that is not saying we are or were healthy.
Just look at some of the important media outlets that had people saying this last 9/11 anniversary that it was time to put the anniversaries to bed…..
4:04 pm on February 13th, 2008 7
Actually the mountain tourch thing holds a lot of water. Just last summer I was driving past the gate and my ac was not charged and I recalled a hot torch like heat bearing down on me as I was cut off by a bus just next the the gate.
But anyway I will go with the thought of mismanagement. The gate should of had springlers and a fire alarm and some sort of security
Koreans are way to casual about safety issues…you know smoking at gas stations why they keep thier car running…running red lights, not putting safety things in appartment buildings …..and now they have to deal with there most important thing burning down
But this is hardly a terrorist attack…just another episode of “im a pissed off Korean…time to shoot a Soldier, or burn down something.
But in the end the Americans will get blaimed for all this
5:10 pm on February 13th, 2008 8
Hi. This is Roboseyo. Thanks for the link.
As for shock and “this can’t be happening” disbelief, watching video of the roof tiles fall was the same emotion as the one I felt when I first saw the two towers fall, but to a much, much lesser degree — let’s go easy on the Koreans who are casting about for a reference point for their sense of shock and loss — a student in my conversation class wanted this guy executed, too…but I will refuse to refer to it as ground zero, no matter how upset my students are.
I have to say, though, I’m relieved it’s just one crazy, alienated dumbass, rather than some kind of organized attack — other than, you know, the 3000 deaths, and the seven-year nightmare that followed in US Foreign policy, that’s the thing that makes this different from 9/11 — this was just a wanton act of destruction, rather than a carefully calculated, planned, and executed “we’re specifically going for the most painful, destructive attack possible” situation like the WTC; Osama and co. had a clear political agenda; this guy just had a chip on his shoulder, two ladders, and paint thinner.
I also agree that the leaders really dropped the ball — Naksansa Temple should have been a serious enough caution to put all the (now probably forthcoming, at long last) changes into effect.
6:20 pm on February 13th, 2008 9
This will blow over in a week. If Koreans can’t blame somebody, they just don’t care much.
Look at public reaction to the two Koreans who just stood there while a tank slowly ran them over. Normally behavior this stupid would get the two dim wits a “Darwin award”, and a sigh of relief that they didn’t reproduce. However in Korea there were 100,000 people in Seoul protesting and yelling racist slogans.
Compare that to when 200 people got burned alive in a train in Daegu. Granted, there was a few smatterings of protests with about 50 people. Mostly people just asking for money.
killed: 2 dim wits vs 200 people
protesting: 100,000 people vs 50 people
The difference is that one can only blame other Koreans. So nobody cares.
[Editor Note: This type of comment is clearly a troll comment of no value to this blog. The girls killed in 2002 were not stupid and just victims of a tragic traffic accident. I don't care if you criticize the protesters afterwards but do not criticize the girls. Consider this your first warning, next time I ban your IP address.]
5:36 am on February 14th, 2008 10
Let GoodFood talk. He tells the truth. GoodFood is representative of Americans in Korea.
7:48 am on February 14th, 2008 11
Well, if GoodFood get banned from this blog, then the only dim wit we will have left is Tom.
9:31 am on February 14th, 2008 12
Did someone forget to close their tags?
3:13 pm on February 14th, 2008 13
Nomad I fixed the tags.
4:14 pm on February 14th, 2008 14
Actually we should let Tom speak because he is representive of the type of person who thinks its OK that Korean Safety Standards are so lax they burned down their most charished Historical thing
7:35 pm on February 14th, 2008 15
Q: How is Sailor Moon like Nam Dae Moon?
A: Korean men want to give them both a good hosing.
Ohhhh… I’m going to hell for that. Sorry.
2:39 am on February 22nd, 2008 16
For 600-year Monument, it is a great loss to all as people would pay just to see it. I could sense the arsonist pride as it will be another 600 years before somebody can do the same. What a record!!