Source:
New York TimesSEOUL, South Korea — The 600-year-old southern gate to what was once the walled city of Seoul, a landmark that survived foreign invasions and wars to be designated South Korea’s top national treasure, burned down Monday.
The collapse of Sungnye Gate — better known to Koreans and foreign tourists as Namdaemun, or “Great South Gate” — shocked the country. “The Republic of Korea could not even defend its national treasure No. 1!” one front-page newspaper headline lamented, using South Korea’s formal name.
Kim Young-soo, a district police chief, said investigators were looking into the possibility of arson. “With this fire, our national pride was burned down as well,” said Lee Kyung-sook, top aide to President-elect Lee Myung-bak, who rushed to the scene of the blaze Monday.
Namdaemun, made of wood and stone with a two-tiered, pagoda-shaped tiled roof, was completed in 1398 and served as the main southern entrance to Seoul, which was then a walled city. It was the oldest wooden structure in the country, an iconic reminder of old Korea in this modern Asian city, the capital of South Korea, and a major tourist attraction. The site is surrounded by a bustling commercial district, and had lately been used as shelter by homeless people.
Read more:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/12/world/asia/12korea.html?_r=1&ref=world&oref=slogin
I haven't been to South Korea (it's on my list of countries to visit), but by all accounts, this is one of the major landmarks of Seoul.