Fire destroys South Korean landmark
By KWANG-TAE KIM, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 19 minutes ago

SEOUL, South Korea - An overnight fire destroyed a 610-year-old landmark that was considered South Korea's top national treasure, officials said Monday. Police said the cause of the blaze was unclear but officials said arson was suspected.

The fire broke out Sunday night and burned down the wooden structure at the top of the Namdaemun gate that once formed part of a wall that encircled the South Korean capital.

Some 360 firefighters fought to bring the blaze under control, according to Lee Sang-joon, an official with the National Emergency Management Agency. No one was injured, he said.

Leesaid arson was suspected in the blaze. However, Kim Young-soo, the head of a police station in central Seoul handling the case, told a televised news conference that it was too early to make that conclusion.

Firefightersfound two disposable lighters at the spot where they believed the fire brokeout, indicting it may have been arson, Yonhap news agency said, citing fire official Oh Yong-kyu.Oh could not be reached for comment.

Police analyzed the tapes from four closed-circuit TV cameras installed near the fire
site but none showed any suspects, Kim said.

Investigator Kim Kyong-hwan said it would take some time to determine the cause of the fire, noting that great care would be taken to ensure the site is not damaged further.

President-elect Lee Myung-bak visited the scene and deplored the destruction of Namdaemun, the namesake of Seoul's central district and a major tourist attraction.

"People's hearts will ache," he told officials as he received a briefing.

The two-tiered wooden structure was renovated in the 1960s, when it was declared South Korea's top national treasure. The government built a plaza around the gate, officially known as Sungnyemun, in 2005 and opened it to the public the following year for the first time in nearly a century.

The gate — carrying a plaque reading "The Gate of Exalted Ceremonies" in Chinese characters — had been off-limits to the public since Japanese colonial authorities built an electric tramway nearby in 1907. Japan ruled the Korean peninsula in 1910-45

The Cultural Heritage Administration said it would take at least three years to fully restore the gate and it would cost some $21 million.
source: HERE

NAM DA MEN in Korea is being burnt and it collapsed as it cannot resist theflames. some koreans were seen agitated and some hysterical. a man in his forties were seen entering the building and then they saw flames.

AHHAHHAHHAHH!! ): NAM DA MEN in KOREA lehh!! ): ): whywhywhy? it was built in 1939 or whatsoevr de lohh and now its burnt to ashes T,T RAHH. summore its korea you noe? i just went dere the last few mths back and now... its burnt, my memories thr are burnt too ): RAHH. not just only korea ppl are affected, so am i. just now beofre watching the news i'm still like relieving the memories few mths back thr by looking thru the pics and videos i took wif my hp lohh. and now its doing tat to me. HUMPHF. if let me noe hu is dat person hu burnt it dwn den HAHA. i'm gonna curse him man. the whole south korea will curse him. IDIOT lahh.

valentine's day in three more days.
and i'm so NOT in the mood, altho i'm taken on tat day :D going to watch movie wif huiying :}wahaha.and i want tat ET :} who can buy it for me? HUIYING, see this :D

last but not least, HAPPYBIRTHDAY TO YUPING :]
ohmy,actually forgot to wish her at 12am lahh.so dumb!! i wld hv kicked myself a hundred times just for tat (quoted frm mrs v :D) RAHH. but anw, LOVE YOU SNR(: