SEOUL, South Korea — Police said today that a 69-year- old man upset over a land dispute has admitted setting the fire in Seoul that destroyed the 14th-century gateway considered South Korea’s top cultural treasure.
The suspect in the arson at the Namdaemun gate, identified only by his family name, Chae, was arrested late Monday and “has confessed his crime,” said Kim Young-Soo, head of a police station handling the case in Seoul.
The fire broke out Sunday night and burned down the wooden structure, which once formed part of a wall that encircled the South Korean capital.
Police have a letter from the suspect complaining about a land dispute with a development company, maintaining he did not get enough compensation from the developer for his land in Gyeonggi province near Seoul, Kim said.
