A fire of unknown origin broke out at Gyeongbokgung Palace in the early morning.

Early in the morning of the 28th, a fire broke out at Gyeongbokgung Palace, the royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty, raising concerns about the safety of cultural heritage. According to the National Heritage Administration, at around 5:35 a.m., a fire broke out from a side gate near the Sambimun Gate in front of Jasandang in Gyeongbokgung Palace.

A security guard who was patrolling at the time noticed smoke rising from a side door, and successfully extinguished the fire using a fire extinguisher and hydrant at around 5:50 a.m., about 15 minutes later. Fortunately, there were no casualties, but one auxiliary pillar of the side door and a part of Shinbangmok (a tree placed horizontally under the door jamb or pillar) were burned and charred.

Presumed spontaneous combustion, exact cause unknown

The National Heritage Administration investigated the cause of the fire with fire authorities and announced that it was presumed to be spontaneous combustion. It is reported that no human movement was found around the site, and no cigarette butts or flammable substances were identified. However, it is still unclear where exactly the fire started and how it occurred.

This fire, which occurred while a dry weather warning was in effect throughout the country, including the metropolitan area, once again reminded us of the importance of preventing fires at cultural heritage sites.

National Heritage Administration directs strengthening of fire prevention at cultural heritage sites nationwide

The Gyeongbokgung Palace Management Office installed a screen around the Sambimun Gate around the start of viewing at 9 a.m. on this day and restricted viewing of the area. Heo Min, head of the National Heritage Administration, said on social media, "We are currently investigating the exact cause of the fire," and added, "We will quickly repair the damaged facilities and ensure that there are no inconveniences to visitors."

Taking this fire as an opportunity, the National Heritage Administration sent an official letter to each local government, requesting cooperation in strengthening vigilance activities to prevent fires at national heritage sites. We have also requested 25 cultural heritage care organizations across the country to inspect fire response measures and safety facilities such as fire extinguishers, and major palaces and royal tombs will be sprinkled with water as a precaution.

Commissioner Heo emphasized, “We will operate the disaster and safety situation room 24 hours a day to safely protect our national heritage.”

Representative cultural heritage visited by 6.88 million people annually

Gyeongbokgung Palace is the royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty, founded by King Taejo of the Joseon Dynasty in 1395, and was designated as a historic site in 1963. According to the Palace Heritage Headquarters, the number of visitors to Gyeongbokgung Palace last year was 6,886,650, accounting for 38.7% of the total number of palace and tomb visitors, making it a representative cultural heritage site loved by domestic and foreign tourists. The scale of damage caused by this fire is not large, so it is unlikely that there will be any significant disruption to summit viewing, but awareness of fire prevention at cultural heritage sites is increasing as the dry spring season approaches.