Seoul (AsiaNews/Agenzie) - A man has been identified and arrested in connection with the fire yesterday that partly destroyed the "Namdaemun", the medieval gateway in central Seoul, the 610-year-old monument called "National National Treasure Number 1".
The police say that a 70-year-old man set fire to the structure. Officials have released only the first name - Chae- of the man, who was captured on the island of Ganghwa, in the estuary of the Han river to the east of Seoul.
President Roh Moo-hyun has summed up the sadness of the South Koreans over the event, calling it "indescribably regrettable" and describing the "Namdaemun" as "our heritage, more significant and more symbolic than any other cultural asset".
The ancient gate of the capital is made of stone, and did not suffer any damage itself, but on top of it was an artistic structure of intricate wooden beams that was destroyed. According to initial estimates, it will take three years and more than 20 million dollars to reconstruct it. But the real problem is the possibility of accurate restoration. The director general of the national museum explains that not only will the "procurement of materials of that quality be difficult", but "the original plan is not available for the gate, so reconstruction will not be at that level".
