Seoul’s iconic gate Namdaemun, also called the southern gate, was constructed at the end of the 14th century and served as one main entrance for Seoul when it was a walled capital. Sunday evening, either through arson or electrical malfunction, the gate caught fire.

After being temporarily extinguished and the structure doused with water (see video here), it reignited after midnight and burned down to its base. Firefighters ultimatelly proceeded too cautiously, sparing no water but did not break through the roof or enter the wooden pavilion to extinguish the fire inside, for fear of damaging the structure. A video from reuters below shows raw footage of the unstoppable fire, which rages despite dozens of water cannons and more than a hundred firefighters on scene.

Such is the danger of wooden historical buildings. Japan has similar issues with its wooden castles, many of which were burned down during the bombing campaigns of World War II, and the famous golden pavilion Kinkakuji, which was burned down by arson in 1950.

• BROWSE / IN TIMELINE
• « War on Scientology takes to the streets
• » Paying the Bill