Wikitree has some photos of last night’s big fire in Insa-dong.
Miraculously, nobody died, but seven were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation.
Also fortunate was that no major cultural landmarks were destroyed. The restaurant Yungmi—an old Jongno favorite—is no more, however.
Firefighters reportedly had difficulty accessing the fire due to the neighborhood’s narrow streets. Making matters worse, according to one report, is that the neighborhood had been slated for redevelopment, so local residents let their properties fall into poor repair. In June of last year, however, the city decided to preserve the neighborhood. Local improvement were to be entrusted to a private contractor, but no investors materialized. Local residents, thinking the place would be redeveloped one way or the other, didn’t see any reason to sink their own money into repairs.
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This Insadong fire seems to be outshining the one earlier in the day in Itaewon.
http://www.fnnews.com/view?ra=Sent1201m_View&corp=fnnews&arcid=201302170100142850007957&cDateYear=2013&cDateMonth=02&cDateDay=17
All of these fires are so convenient. Reeks of forced redevelopment.
I’ve been to some of the “famous” mom and pop restaurants Insadong. I don’t know if it’s because the water isn’t good in Seoul or because they used cheaper ingredients to cut corners because the rent is high, but It was an underwhelming experience each and every time. You want good Korean cuisine, head to the provinces.
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