A saddening site in Korea...

John and I loaded up our favorite Korean blog this morning (The Daily Kimchi) only to stumble upon some very sad and disappointing news. Namdaemun, an historic gate located in the heart of Seoul was set on fire. The landmark is officially called Sungnyemun, which literally translates to "Gate of Exalted Ceremonies,". As the southern gate of the original walls surrounding Seoul during the Joseon Dynasty, it is widely known as Namdaemun, literally "Great Southern Gate."

A 69-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson and then later confessed to the crime. Police reported that Chae sprayed paint thinner on the floor of the structure and then set fire to it. According to police the arsonist was upset about not being paid in full for land he had sold to developers. The same man had been charged with setting a fire at Changgyeong Palace in Seoul in 2006.
This news is really sad! We visited this area too many times to count while living in Korea. We even took John's mom and Nanny here when they visited. What a piece of history to ruin...tragic!