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37°33′35″N 126°58′31″E / 37.55972°N 126.97528°E / 37.55972; 126.97528

Sungnyemun
Sungnyemun in 2007.
Korean name
Hangul	숭례문/남대문
Hanja	崇禮門/南大門
Revised Romanization	Sungnyemun/Namdaemun
McCune–Reischauer	Namdaemun

Sungnyemun or Namdaemun is a historic gate located in the heart of Seoul, the capital of South Korea. The landmark is officially called Sungnyemun (Korean: 숭례문; Hanja: 崇禮門, literally "Gate of Exalted Ceremonies", as written in hanja on a plaque on the wooden structure. As the southern gate of the original walls surrounding Seoul during the Joseon Dynasty, it is widely known as Namdaemun, literally "the great southern gate".

The city gate was originally used to greet foreign emissaries, control access to the capital city, and keep out Korean tigers, which have long been gone from the area.

It is located in Seoul Special City, Jung-gu, Namdaemun St 4-Ga 29, halfway between Seoul Station and Seoul City Plaza. Nearby is the Namdaemun market, a traditional twenty-four hour market that has been operating for centuries. The area is also home to several shopping malls.

The second storey of wooden part of the gate collapsed in a fire on February 10, 2008 in an arson attack.

History

Sungnyemun was the oldest wood-built structure in Seoul. The construction of this gate began in 1395 during the fourth year of the reign of King Taejo of Joseon and was finished in 1398. The structure was rebuilt in 1447 and was renovated several times since.

In the early part of the 20th century, the city walls that surrounded Seoul were demolished by the Japanese Government, allegedly to ease the flow of traffic in the area. The gate was closed to the public in 1907 after the Japanese colonial authorities constructed an electric tramway nearby. Sungnyemun was extensively damaged during the Korean War and was given its last major repair in 1961, with a completion ceremony held on May 14 1963. It was given the status of "National Treasure No.1" on December 20 1962.

The Gate was renovated again in 2005 with the building of a grassy lawn around the gate, before being opened once again to the public with much fanfare on 3 March 2006. During the restoration, 182 pages of blueprints for the gate were made as a contingency against any emergencies which may damage the structure.

Fire

At approximately 8:50 p.m. on February 10, 2008 a fire broke out and severely damaged the wooden structure at the top of the Namdaemun gate. Over three hundred firefighters fought to bring the flames under control. There were no injuries reported.

As of February 11, police are investigating possible causes of the fire. Although no positive determination has been made, a 70-year-old man, Chae, was arrested on suspicion of arson, and reports say he has since confessed to the police in writing. The same man had been charged with setting fire to Changgyeong Palace in Seoul in 2006. The cause was originally suspected as accidental; however, many witnesses have reported seeing a suspicious man shortly before the fire, and two disposable lighters were found where the fire was believed to have started.

The Cultural Heritage Administration of South Korea said that it would undertake a four year project that would cost an estimated 21 million dollars to rebuild and restore the historic gate.

Gallery

• Sungnyemun in the late 1890s during Joseon Dynasty
• Sungnyemun during the Japanese occupation
• 
• 
• Sungnyemun at night
• Sungnyemun at night
• Firefighters tried to extinguish the fire Firefighters tried to extinguish the fire
• February 11, 2008, the day after the fire.

References

1. KWANG-TAE KIM, Associated Press Writer (2008-02-11). "South Korea arrests man in landmark fire". Yahoo! News.
2. Kim Jeong-hwan (김정환) (2008-02-10). "국보1호 숭례문 화재…진화중 (National Treasure No. 1, Sungnyemun Fire... under extinguishment)" (in Korean). KBS. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
3. National monument burns down Reuters
4. ^ "Fire ravages South Korea landmark". BBC. Retrieved 2008-02-11.
5. Poor Security Blamed for Gate Burnout Korea Times
6. Namdaemun Outlived War, Colonialism Korea Times
7. Three Years Needed for Restoration Korea Times
8. "Fire destroys South Korean landmark". Yahoo!. 2008-02-11. Retrieved 2008-02-11. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
9. South Korean Gate Destroyed in Fire Korea Times

• "S. Korean landmark collapses in fire". CNN / Associated Press. 2008-02-10.

See also

• Dongdaemun - the Great East Gate

External links

• Template:Ko icon Short description of the 8 gates of Seoul

• Current events from February 2008
• Neighbourhoods of Seoul
• National Treasures of South Korea
• Gates
• Destroyed landmarks