Comments on: Suspect Admits to Sungnyemun Arson: Yonhap

By: More than Dokdo, it’s history « Korea Dispatch

More than Dokdo, it’s history « Korea Dispatch — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 05:32:15 +0000

[...] the most recent case of historical destruction, Seoul’s famed Great Southern Gate, built six centuries earlier, was engulfed in flames after an elderly Korean man set it afire. On [...]

By: Railwaycharm

Railwaycharm — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 11:56:04 +0000

I have to say I think the expats are more shocked by this tragedy to Korean history than many of my Korean friends and collogues seem to want to admit to. The only thing that comes to mind to explain this is the fact that so much of this countries antiquity have been destroyed and rebuilt over time. I was saddened by this loss. I guess my Miguk sensibilities are less pragmatic than the power of Han. I hope the gate is rebuilt quickly.

By: sewing

sewing — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 07:43:01 +0000

Bulgasari: See Sperwer’s comment regarding an unknown gate near Sangmyeong University at this link, and my reply here.

By: The Gates of Seoul | The Marmot's Hole

The Gates of Seoul | The Marmot's Hole — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 02:00:22 +0000

[...] KTO page for more information.) And as Robert mentioned on another thread a couple of days ago (here and here), the gate was often closed during the Joseon dynasty, for reasons pertaining to geomantic [...]

By: hardyandtiny

hardyandtiny — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 01:04:16 +0000

“Chae admitted that he also considered launching a terrorist attack on a train or some other form of public transportation, but abandoned it out of fear of human casualties. ”

Terrorist attack!

By: Netizen Kim

Netizen Kim — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 20:59:57 +0000

This would be so much more entertaining if the fire was caused by a couple of Engrish teachers trying to light their farts on fire while high on pot.

By: bulgasari

bulgasari — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 17:02:54 +0000

This suspect reminds me a little of the “poisoned yogurt man.

Regarding the city’s gates, does anyone know which one this is? The photo was taken in 1883-4 by Percival Lowell is labeled as the north gate of Seoul. At a guess I’d imagine it’s Changuimun.

As for the little gates, I had no idea Hyehwamun had been reconstructed…

By: dokdoforever

dokdoforever — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 12:42:47 +0000

Nobody here seems to have remarked on the Korean media’s criticism of the misguided response of fire crews to the fire. The Fire Dept had engines on site hosing down the gate very early on, when only a few whisps of smoke were visible from outside the gate. Yet they refused to enter to extinguish the blaze for fear of damaging the structure. Clearly the Fire Dept hadn’t trained for such an event, and couldn’t figure out how to respond. I think that the Korean educational system’s failure to teach creative thinking skills is partly to blame for this disaster. Anyone using a simple trial and error strategy would have figured out a way to get inside and extinguish the fire during the several hours in which the fire dept ineffectively hosed down the gate’s tile roof.

By the way, Robert, how much of the gate’s wood is from 60s or 2005 restorations? Was there any really old wood in the structure before the fire?

Actually, I was pretty surprised when I first heard of the Namdaemoon fire because I had thought that all the gates were made of prefab concrete, like pieces of Kwanghwamoon, which you can still see over at Kyungbokkung. From a distance Kwangwhamoon really looked like real wood, but on closer inspection, was only brown painted concrete - kind of disappointing. If all of Namdaemoon’s wood was recent, it can be rebuilt and nobody will know the difference.

By: cm

cm — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 12:42:06 +0000

“one can limit “B” by not stealing peoples land and giving them peanuts or other such transgressions as may happen.”

Any evidence to back this up that he was wronged?

By: tomcoyner

tomcoyner — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 10:02:53 +0000

Assuming this confession is valid, and I suspect it is, we have a very graphic example of the Korean emotion of han – or the holding on to a sense of injustice that can be all consuming, as clearly may have been in the case of the Namdaemun/Sungneymun arson.

Besides the obvious pathos described below, I may make two observations – one minor and one perhaps a bit more significant.

First, thanks to the fire, the correct name of Sungneymun, rather than simply the colloquial name of Namdaemun, is finally on the tips of tongues of many.

And second, while the grief over the fire is genuine, I think in the long run it will be proven to be overdone given the actual content of what was turned to carbon. The fire, however, did reveal more than a few weaknesses in Korean society. And if only in the form of finger pointing, these issues are being recognized and discussed. I can only hope matters may be progressed on to the next level of creating meaningful, long-term solutions, with a new government coming into power in a few weeks time.

I know I’m often expecting too much from Lee Myung-bak, but I can always hope.