Elderly Man Confesses to Burning Historic Gate

Seoul police requested an arrest warrant yesterday for a 69-year-old man surnamed Chae, who confessed to setting the fire that burned the historic gate Sungnyemun, the country’s National Treasure No. 1 and oldest wooden structure.

Chae told police that he set fire to the gate out of anger over being dissatisfied with state compensation for the land he had owned and the settlement money collected by the court.

The suspect reportedly climbed to the second floor of Sungnyemun, poured paint thinner on it, and lit it with a cigarette lighter at 8:48 p.m. Sunday. The wooden pavilion subsequently burned down after being ablaze for five hours.

Police apprehended him on Ganghwa Island near Seoul at 8:15 p.m. Monday. He confessed to the crime soon after his capture.

Chae said, “I went up the ladder to the second floor of Sungnyemun, poured a 1.5-liter bottle of paint thinner on the floor, and lit it with a cigarette lighter. The wooden structure burned well.”

“I chose the gate since other cultural properties including Jongmyo were inaccessible at night, and because setting fire to a means of public transportation was highly likely to cause serious casualties.”

At the home of the suspect’s ex-wife, police found clothes, gloves and paint thinner that he might have used in his crime. The items were sent them to the National Institute of Scientific Investigation for analysis.

In April 2006, Chae was sentenced to 18 months in prison with a two-year stay of execution for burning the left door of Munjeongjeon of the Joseon Dynasty palace Changgyeong. He said at the time that he did so because he was dissatisfied with the state compensation he received for his land.

A police officer said, “Chae is suspected of having planned to set this fire since 2006, when he was angry over being fined 13 million won for the [Munjeongjeon] fire.”

Setting fire to a cultural property is punishable by three years to life in prison under the Cultural Property Protection Law and criminal law. Chae is likely to face a severe sentence since he burned Korea’s number one national treasure.

Restoration of Sungnyemun will cost an estimated 20 billion won and take three years of work.

Police will also see if authorities in charge of guarding Sungnyemun were negligent in their duties.

fineday@donga.com