{{Short description|Old south gate of Seoul, South Korea}} {{about|the South Korean gate known as Namdaemun|other uses|Namdaemun (disambiguation)}} {{pp-move|small=yes}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}} {{coord|37|33|36|N|126|58|31|E|display=title}} {{Infobox building |name = Namdaemun | image = Sungnyemun Gate, front, 2013.jpg | caption = Namdaemun in 2013 | coordinates = {{coord|37|33|36|N|126|58|31|E|}} | location_country = South Korea | location_city = Jung District, Seoul | designations = {{Infobox designation list |embed=yes |designation1=National Treasures of South Korea |designation1_date=1962-12-20 |designation1_number=1 }} | opened_date = 1398 |embedded = {{Infobox Korean name/auto | hangul = ^남대문; ^숭례문 | hanja = 南大門; 崇禮門 |child=yes}} }} '''Namdaemun''' ({{korean|남대문|lit=South Great Gate}}), {{a.k.a.}} the '''Sungnyemun''' ({{korean|숭례문|labels=no|lit=Honoring Propriety Gate}}),<ref>{{cite book |last1=Yoon |first1=Hong-key |title=P'ungsu: A Study of Geomancy in Korea |date=2017 |publisher=SUNY Press |isbn=9781438468716 |page=217 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NZ1BDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA217}}</ref> is the southern gate of The Eight Gates of Seoul making part of the Seoul City Wall marking the city's original boundary during the Joseon period, although the city has since significantly outgrown it after that. It is located in Jung District between Seoul Station and Seoul Plaza, with the historic 24-hour Namdaemun Market next to the gate.
The gate, first built in the last year of King Taejo of Joseon's reign in 1398, is a historic pagoda-style gateway, and is designated as South Korea's first National Treasure.<ref>{{cite web |script-title=ko:문교부고시제169호. 《문화재보호법에의한국보지정》 | author=문교부장관 | website=관보 | publisher=공보부 |date=29 December 1962 |url=http://theme.archives.go.kr/R/gazette-ebook-20061019/1962/eBook_Contents/ba0189093/ba0189093_88.jpg |language=ko }}</ref> It was once one of the three major gateways through Seoul's city walls which had a stone circuit of {{convert|18.2|km}} and stood up to {{convert|6.1|m}} high. It was rebuilt in 1447.
Namdaemun was the oldest wooden structure in Seoul until 2008,<ref name="2008 Fire BBC">{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7238210.stm |title=Fire ravages South Korea landmark |work=BBC News |date=11 February 2008 |access-date=11 February 2008}}</ref> when its wooden pagoda atop the gate was severely damaged by arson. Restoration work on the gateway started in February 2010 and was completed on 29 April 2013. The gate was reopened on 4 May 2013.
==Name== thumb|200px|left|Plaque showing the official name of the gate, ''Sungnyemun'', in Hanja The gate was commonly known as ''Namdaemun'' since the Joseon period. When the first king of that period Yi Seonggye (from 1335 to 1408) constructed Seoul, he believed that the element fire would reach to Gyeongbok Palace, as well as to the capital city, as Mt. Gwanak nearby is shaped like fire according to feng shui principles. Sungnyemun's name means "fire", which is from the harmony of the Five Elements and, if written vertically, the Chinese character "fire" looks as if it is providing protection. The gate's sign was made by Taejong's (1367–1422) first son, Yangnyeongdaegun (1394–1462).<ref name="Sungnyemun Name History">{{cite news |title=Sungnyemun Gate (Namdaemun Gate) |url=http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264257 |date=16 June 2014 |website=VisitKorea |publisher=Korea Tourism Organization}}</ref> "Sungnyemun" has also become the official name given by the South Korean government,<ref name=" 2008 fire YH">{{cite news |title=South Korea arrests man in landmark fire |last=Kwang-Tae Kim |agency=Associated Press |publisher=Yahoo! News |date=11 February 2008 |url=https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080211/ap_on_re_as/skorea_landmark_fire }}</ref>
A common belief in Korea is that the name "Namdaemun" was imposed forcibly during the Japanese colonial period, and therefore should not be used. However, Joseon dynasty annals indicate that naming the eight gates of Seoul after their respective directions was common colloquial usage before the Japanese arrived.{{citation needed|date=March 2020}}
==History== ===Before the 2008 fire=== The city gate, made of wood and stone with a two-tiered, pagoda-shaped tiled roof, was completed in 1398 and originally used to greet foreign emissaries, control access to the capital city, and keep out Siberian tigers, which have long been gone from the area. Construction began in 1395 during the fourth year of the reign of King Taejo and was finished in 1398. The structure was rebuilt in 1447, during the 29th year of King Sejong's reign,<ref>{{cite news|title=Namdaemun: National Treasure No. 1|url=http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/Article.aspx?aid=2947606|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130126232122/http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/Article.aspx?aid=2947606|url-status=usurped|archive-date=26 January 2013|access-date=30 November 2012|newspaper=Korea JoongAng Daily|date=30 January 2012}}</ref> and has been renovated several times since.<ref name="2008 Fire BBC"/> It was originally one of three main gates, the others being Dongdaemun (East Gate) and the now-demolished Seodaemun (West Gate) in the Seodaemun District.<ref>{{cite book |title=A Concise History of Korea: From The Neolithic Period Through the Nineteenth Century |page=204 |author=Seth, Michael J |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |year=2006 }}</ref>
thumb|250px|left|Namdaemun during the Joseon period (c. 1890s)
It is the location of the Battle of Namdaemun.
In the early part of the 20th century, the city walls that surrounded Seoul were demolished to make the traffic system more efficient.<ref>{{cite news|last=Kim|first=Hyung-eun|url=http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2904923|title=Gateway to the Joseon capital|date=18 May 2009|work=Korea JoongAng Daily|access-date=30 November 2012}}</ref> A visit to Seoul by the Crown Prince of Japan prompted the demolition of the walls around Namdaemun, as the prince was deemed to be too exalted to pass through the gateway.<ref>{{cite book |author=Hong Seong-tae |chapter=From Mount Baekak to the Han River: A Road to Colonial Modernization |title=Impacts of Modernities |page=126 |editor1=LaMarre, Thomas |editor2=Kang, Nae-hŭi |publisher=Hong Kong University Press |year=2004 }}</ref> The gate was closed to the public in 1907 after the authority constructed an electric tramway nearby. In 1938, Namdaemun was designated as Korean Treasure No. 1 by the Governor-General of Korea.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chosunonline.com/article/20051108000004|script-title=ja:監査院 国宝1号を変更すべき|access-date=7 January 2008 |date=28 November 2005|work=The Chosun Ilbo Japan |language=ja |quote= 監査院は '日帝は1938年の 朝鮮宝物令 で文化財を指定した際、南大門を宝物1号に、現在の東大門(現在の宝物1号)を宝物2号に指定したが、光復 (独立)後も1962年にようやく国宝と宝物を指定した際、そのほとんどが日帝の宝物令にそのまま従って指定された' と明らかにした|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080215121107/http://www.chosunonline.com/article/20051108000004|archive-date=15 February 2008}}</ref>
Namdaemun was extensively damaged during the Korean War and was given its last major repair in 1961, with a completion ceremony held on 14 May 1963.<ref>{{cite news |title=Poor Security Blamed for Gate Burnout |last=Kim |first=Rahn |date=11 February 2008 |work=The Korea Times|url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/02/117_18720.html }}</ref> It was given the status of "National Treasure No. 1"<ref name="yonhap">{{cite news |title=Controversy erupts over fundraising for historic gate |last=Shin Hae-in |work=Yonhap News Agency |date=13 February 2008 |url=http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2008/02/13/42/0302000000AEN20080213003400315F.HTML }}</ref> on 20 December 1962.
The gate was renovated again in 2005 with the building of a lawn around the gate, before being opened once again to the public with much fanfare on 3 March 2006.<ref>{{cite news |first=Andrei |last=Lankov |title=Namdaemun Outlived War, Colonialism |work=The Korea Times|date=11 February 2008 |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/02/117_18709.html }}</ref> During the restoration, 182 pages of blueprints for the gate were made as a contingency against any emergencies which may damage the structure.<ref>{{cite news |title=Three Years Needed for Restoration |last=Chung Ah-young |work=The Korea Times|date=11 February 2008 |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/02/113_18722.html }}</ref> Three years later, such an emergency arose.
===2008 fire=== {{main|2008 Namdaemun fire}} thumb|250px|Aftermath of the fire (February 2008) At approximately 8:50 p.m. on 10 February 2008, a fire broke out and severely damaged the wooden structure at the top of the Namdaemun gate. The fire roared out of control again after midnight and finally destroyed the structure, despite the efforts of more than 360 firefighters.<ref>{{cite news |publisher=CNN |agency=Associated Press |title=S. Korean landmark collapses in fire |date=11 February 2008 |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/02/10/skorea.landmark.ap/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080213041352/http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/02/10/skorea.landmark.ap/index.html|archive-date=13 February 2008}}</ref> Many witnesses reported seeing a suspicious man shortly before the fire, and two disposable lighters were found where the fire was believed to have started.<ref>{{cite news |title=Korea's Historic Namdaemun Gate Toppled By Fire |first=Vivian Wai-yin |last=Kwok |work=Forbes |date=11 February 2008 |url=https://www.forbes.com/2008/02/11/fire-destroys-namdaemun-face-markets-cx_vk_0211autofacescan01.html }}</ref> A 69-year-old man identified as Chae Jong-gi was arrested on suspicion of arson and later confessed to the crime.<ref name="confesses">{{cite news |title=Man 'confesses to S Korea blaze' |work=BBC News |date=12 February 2008 |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7240220.stm }}</ref><ref name="admits">{{cite news |last=Kim Tae-jong |title=Suspect Admits Arson on Namdaemun |work=The Korea Times|date=12 December 2008 |url=http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/02/113_18767.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080215193623/http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/02/113_18767.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 February 2008 }}</ref><ref name="man confesses">{{cite news |title=Man 'Arsonist Blames President Roh' |work=The Korea Times|date=14 February 2008 |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/02/117_18955.html }}</ref> A police captain reported that Chae had sprayed paint thinner on the floor of the structure and then set fire to it.<ref name="arsonist">{{cite news |title=SKorea arsonist in Namdaemun fire had grudge over land dispute: police |work=Agence France-Presse |url=http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5h4cfjlM7LVtJSzek6TNEkGbO61KA |date=12 February 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080215120645/http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5h4cfjlM7LVtJSzek6TNEkGbO61KA |archive-date=15 February 2008}}</ref> Police say that Chae was upset about not being paid in full for land he had sold to developers.<ref name="admits" /> The same man had been charged with setting a fire at Changgyeonggung in Seoul in 2006.<ref name="Yahoo Landmark">{{cite news|last=Hyung-Jin Kim |title=Fire destroys South Korean landmark |agency=Associated Press |publisher=Yahoo! News |date=11 February 2008 |access-date=11 February 2008 |url=https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080211/ap_on_re_as/skorea_landmark_fire |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080213091333/http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080211/ap_on_re_as/skorea_landmark_fire |archive-date=13 February 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On 25 April 2008, Chae was convicted and sentenced to ten years' imprisonment by the Seoul Central District Court.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2024/12/113_23138.html |title=Namdaemun Arsonist Receives 10-Year Jail Term |work=The Korea Times |date=April 25, 2008 |accessdate=22 December 2024}}</ref>
===Restoration=== The Cultural Heritage Administration of South Korea said that it would undertake a three-year project that would cost an estimated ₩20 billion (approximately $14 million) to rebuild and restore the historic gate,<ref>{{cite news |last=Choe Sang-Hun |title=South Korean Gate Destroyed in Fire |work=The New York Times |date=12 February 2008 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/12/world/asia/12korea.html }}</ref> making it the most expensive restoration project in South Korea.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lim Chang-Won |title=Following the most expensive restoration project ever in South Korea, Namdaemun gate set to reopen |work= ArtNews/AFP |date=2013 |url=http://artdaily.com/news/62268/Following-the-most-expensive-restoration-project-ever-in-South-Korea--Namdaemun-gate-set-to-reopen}}</ref> President Lee Myung-bak proposed starting a private donation campaign to finance the restoration of the structure.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kim Yon-se |title=Donation for Gate Restoration Proposed |work=The Korea Times|date=12 February 2008 |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/02/116_18782.html }}</ref>
thumb|250px|left|Restoration work in July 2008
By January 2010, 70% of the pavilion gate, the first floor and 80% of the fortress wall had been completed. Work on the roof began in April after the completion of the wooden second floor, with 22,000 roof tiles produced in a traditional kiln in Buyeo, South Chungcheong Province. The wall and basic frame were scheduled to be finished in April and May respectively. The pillars and rafters are to be elaborately decorated, with the ornamental patterns and colors based on those used in the large-scale repair in 1963, which was closest to the early-Chosun original.<ref>{{cite news|title=Seoul Landmark Restorations to Be Completed This Year|url=http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2012/01/04/2012010401731.html|access-date=23 April 2012|newspaper=The Chosun Ilbo|date=4 January 2012}}</ref>
thumb|250px|Interior of the wooden structure
In January 2013, it was estimated by an official that restoration of the gate would be completed around May 2013.<ref>{{cite news|last=Lee|first=Min-Sun|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/korearealtime/2013/01/04/the-south-gate-will-stay-closed-a-little-longer/|title=The South Gate Will Stay Closed a Little Longer|date=4 January 2013|work=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=8 January 2013}}</ref> Construction had been delayed by four months due to harsh weather conditions in Seoul. On 17 February 2013, the gate was 96% completed, and all steel-frame scaffolding had been removed.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2967156&cloc=joongangdaily|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130411045243/http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2967156&cloc=joongangdaily|url-status=usurped|archive-date=11 April 2013|title=Veil lifted|date=15 February 2013|publisher=Korea JoongAng Daily|access-date=18 February 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2013/02/113_130660.html|title=Finishing touches|date=17 February 2013|work=The Korea Times|access-date=18 February 2013}}</ref> On 29 April 2013, restoration work was completed,<ref>{{cite news|last=Lee|first=Min-Sun|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/korearealtime/2013/01/04/the-south-gate-will-stay-closed-a-little-longer/|title=The South Gate Will Stay Closed a Little Longer|date=4 January 2013|work=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=8 January 2013}}</ref> and the public opening was scheduled for 4 May 2013, a day before Children's Day.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sungnyemun to open to great fanfare after more than five years of renovation|url=http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20130430000738|access-date=1 May 2013|work=The Korea Herald|date=30 April 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Recovering Sungnyemun celebration congratulatory address|url=http://www.president.go.kr/kr/president/news/news_view.php?uno=59|access-date=1 May 2013|publisher=.The Blue House|date=1 May 2013}}{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> It was officially reopened on 5 May 2013, after a five-year restoration period.<ref>{{cite news|last=Cha|first=Frances|title=South Korea's No. 1 national treasure reopens after five years|url=http://travel.cnn.com/south-koreas-no1-national-treasure-yep-they-rank-them-reopens-after-5-years-497181|access-date=27 May 2013|newspaper=CNN Travel|date=9 May 2013}}</ref>
Only six months after the restoration was completed, paint started to chip off and wood cracked. President Park Geun-hye ordered an investigation into the matter.<ref>{{cite news |last= Jaeyeon Woo|title=President Orders Probe into Restoration of National Treasure |work=Wall Street Journal / Korea Realtime |date=12 November 2013 |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/korearealtime/2013/11/12/president-orders-probe-into-restoration-of-national-treasure/ }}</ref>
==See also== {{Portal|History|Architecture}} *Seoul City Wall *Namdaemun Market *Shinhan Bank *Deoksugung Palace
==References== {{reflist|33em}}
==External links== {{commons category-inline|Namdaemun}}
{{Eight Gates of Seoul}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1398 Category:Buildings and structures in Jung District, Seoul Category:Downtown Seoul Category:National Treasures of South Korea Category:Gates of Seoul Category:Tourist attractions in Seoul Category:Buildings and structures destroyed by arson Category:Heritage listed buildings and structures in South Korea