[MSN] Korea. Arson Guts UNESCO Asset. Sojangdae watchtower at Hwasong Fortress in Suwon City, Kyonggi Province, a historic relic from the late Choson Kingdom was destroyed by arson Monday.

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Arson Guts UNESCO Asset
 

By Bae Keun-min
Staff Reporter

Arson attack at Sojangdae watchtower at Hwasong Fortress in Suwon, Kyonggi
province:
Photo. http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200605/kt2006050117262810230.htm


Sojangdae watchtower at Hwasong Fortress in Suwon City, Kyonggi Province, a
historic relic from the late Choson Kingdom was destroyed by arson Monday. 
Police are investigating a suspect, a 24-year-old drunken man, arrested at
the scene. 

The fortress has been listed on UNESCO'S World Heritage Site since 1997.
Monday's arson was not the first for Sojangdae, which suffered another arson
in 1996. 

The second floor of the belvedere was burned down in some 20 minutes after
the fire broke out around 1:30 a.m. on Monday, despite efforts by some 40
firefighters and 10 fire tenders. 

The fortress managing office estimated more than 1 billion won will be
required to restore the damage. 

The suspect known by his surname An, reportedly broke open the lock on the
second floor before setting his underwear on fire with a cigarette lighter.
He told the police: ``I set fire to it after drinking to down my agony over
a 300 million won debt.''

There was no hydrant at the site, nor any night patrol although the fortress
was open to the public 24 hours. Visitors are estimated at 20,000 a day on
weekdays and 50,000 on weekends. 

It was the second arson of cultural assets in a week. A 60-something
arsonist attacked Munjongjon building at Changkyonggung Palace in central
Seoul last Wednesday. Fortunately, the fire was extinguished leaving only
minor damage.

The two incidents have triggered criticism over the government's failure to
have appropriate measures in place to prevent wooden cultural assets from
being destroyed by fire. More aggressive measures have been called for since
the complete destruction of Naksansa Temple in Kangwon Province a year ago.

However, the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) and the National
Emergency Management Agency have been unable to issue any specific action
plans since the disastrous Naksansa Temple fire. 

Currently, each managing office of cultural assets or their owners are
responsible for directing fire defense systems of their own. 

The CHA is expected to issue a report for the measures at the end of the
year as the National Assembly recently approved a 100 million won budget to
study the fire defense system for wooden cultural assets across the nation. 



kenbae at koreatimes.co.kr 

05-01-2006 17:26