It looks like the fire that destroyed the Namdaemun Gate (Sungnyemun) was planned:
Police took into custody on Monday a man suspected of causing the fire that destroyed South Korea’s No. 1 national treasure.
The 70-year-old suspect, identified only by his last name "Chae," was apprehended at Ganghwa Island, west of Seoul. Investigators found 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. [Yonhap]
If this is the guy who started the fire it is pretty clear it wasn’t a homeless guy that started the fire since he was arrested on Ganghwa Island and used a ladder to commit the crime with. If this is the guy I’m willing to bet he was a drunk ajushi pissed off at the world for some reason and decided to burn the gate.
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8:30 am on February 12th, 2008 1
So much for the Korea Times-reported “mysterious energy”: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/02/117_18705.html.
9:59 am on February 12th, 2008 2
GIKorea,
I don’t think this was the work of some “drunk adjoshi.” I’ve been with many a drunk Korean male and while some of them may get loud and obnoxious once in a while, none of them would ever harm a national treasure, especially one as visible as Namdaemun. I suspect, perhaps tongue in cheekedly, that this was the work of a NK sympathizer.
Tim in Angeles sendzzzzzzzzzz
11:18 am on February 12th, 2008 3
I don’t know if he was drunk but I just read a report over at Marmot’s that the guy was pissed off at the world and decided to burn down the gate.
12:26 pm on February 12th, 2008 4
Remeber that pissed off Korean coward that started the Daegoo subway fire. What happened to him? Nothing. What about the dumb*ss train engineeer that locked up all the Koreans on the train so they could die? What happened to him? Nothing.
Burning down some blocks of wood built in in 1972 wont get him in much real hot water. He will weep for the netizins, and go back to his soju when its all over.
1:40 pm on February 12th, 2008 5
I can’t believe that the supposedly justice minded GI Korea would let this misinformation that GoodFood is spreading, without any kind of proper response. Silence speaks volumes in this case.
The “Korean coward” that started the Daegu subway fire was sentenced to life and died in prison in 2004. Nothing happened to him my ass.
The train engineer was convicted of criminal negligence and was given 5 years in prison. Nothing happened to him my ass. And as if you care for those people who died in the fire. Or simply using the case to bash Koreans?
As for the gate, true, it was a restoration project from destructions of Korean War. It was restored in 1960’s by taking apart the original materials and putting it all back in neat form. Then again in 1970’s to redo a section that was improperly done. But the much of the stone blocks and wood are originals from the 14th century. Don’t tell me that any of the world’s historic buildings don’t have some kind of restoration parts. What you need to do is take some crack and hopefully you can settle down.
4:54 pm on February 12th, 2008 6
Well Tom if you believe I actually have a day job and can’t sit here and respond to every comment all day long. It seems like you are doing a very good job responding to his comments why do you need me to fight your fight for you?
Just a general note to everyone, that if you leave a link it makes your claim easier to substantiate. I have no idea what happened to the guy who started the subway fire or the guy who locked people in the train and I do not have time to look for the information now myself. So if you leave a link it will support your point more than just leaving unsubstantiated claims.
5:41 pm on February 12th, 2008 7
Tom, I wonder why you put “Korean coward” in a parenthesis? Do you doubt that he was a coward, or does his Korean blood preclude him from being a coward?
Tom, calm down…calm down. Breath. You seem very upset, as if I have wrote some kind of libel against a Korean coward and a Korean dumb*ass.
10:14 pm on February 12th, 2008 8
Anyway to substantiate your claims GoodFood? Didn’t think so pal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daegu_subway_fire
4:11 pm on February 13th, 2008 9
just because you walk up to a large historical thing with a latter and back back does not make you a suspect.
I think it could of been a couple of GIs who stole a taxi, slapped a resturante owner then attacked about 50 police attempt to burn down Seoul
Check the blotter
Better yet check that guy who complained of having thatched roofs
3:46 pm on February 14th, 2008 10
Seems to me goodfood the Kingkitty has notice youre filled with a bit a hateraid towards are friendly host the Koreans. However Tom GF is not the only one who “appears” to dislike our host and if you read through much of our posts you will find the same sort of retoric without much fanfare
We all need to breath and think of the ocean
11:36 pm on February 14th, 2008 11
“Namdaemun was 600 years old” -You would have an IQ of less than 70 to believe that one- Why is anyone saying this? Can someone please show me a wooden structure that is 600 years old? Untreated wood left in the open air will rot, especially pine which is what this thing was made of. I also saw a expose on TV showing the restoration of Namdemun it was in black and white and showed the entire structure torn down to the ground. They showed guys using nice saws and hand tools to form the wood. I didn’t know Korea was such an advanced civilization they had television 600 years ago (300 years ago sure, but 600, come on)
12:41 pm on February 15th, 2008 12
IKWTL,
Have you never heard of the concept of RESTORATION? Of course, the wood in the structure has been replaced, probably several times in the 600-year-history of the gate. The black and white show you saw was probably of the last major restoration that was undertaken for the gate in 1972. The gate was also restored after the Korean War too. It is historical fact that Seoul (Hanyang) was once a walled city (like the walled city at Suwon) and it was only accessible by these gates.