GUTTED: Namdaemun, or Great South Gate, after the fire that destroyed it on Sunday night. The government plans to rebuild the structure, which survived Japanese colonial rule from 1910-1945 and the 1950-1953 Korean War. -- PHOTO: AP

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'We are inclined to believe that it is arson rather than an electrical fault, but we cannot confirm at this point,' station police chief Kim Young Soo said at a press conference yesterday.

Police found two cigarette lighters and a used matchstick on the second floor of the gate and studied closed-circuit TV footage.

Late yesterday, Yonhap news agency reported that police had arrested a 70-year-old man who was being questioned on suspicion of lighting a fire.

More than 350 firefighters took about five hours to put out the blaze which broke out on Sunday night.

Namdaemun, or Great South Gate in the Korean language, was a two-storey wooden pavilion resting on a huge granite block with an arched passageway running through it. The first level housed equipment for illuminating the gate at night.

The destruction of the gate is a big blow to the country, which cherishes its historical significance. The landmark survived Japanese colonial rule from 1910-1945 and the 1950-1953 Korean War.

'The gate is a symbol of our long history and the resilience of our people,' said housewife Kim Mi Ran, 42, who left a wreath on the road just outside the gate.

'Its destruction is a national loss and the culprit must be severely punished.'

Local media gave blanket coverage to the fire, with television stations showing some people crying and prostrating themselves in the direction of the gate.

Scores of prominent politicians flocked to survey the damage, including president-elect Lee Myung Bak, who takes office in two weeks.

He said: 'This is a symbolic place which everyone wants to visit when they come to Seoul. I share the grief of the people.'

But amid the sadness, there are also critical voices slamming the authorities for failing to take preventive measures.

A Korea Times editorial said: 'It is hard to believe there was not a single night guard to protect National Treasure No. 1...The gate had only eight fire extinguishers, and no fire sensors or sprinklers.'

The Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) was also taken to task for preventing firefighters from entering the gate to put out the fire.

The landmark, surrounded by modern office buildings, is officially named Sungnyemun or 'Gate of exalted ceremonies'. It was the southern gate in the walls surrounding Seoul during the Chosun Dynasty of 1392-1910.

The gate, which was last renovated in 1961, is adjacent to the popular Namdaemun market and is a major tourist attraction.

'It allows visitors to see the contrast between Seoul's past and present,' said Mr Neil Jeffrey, a British tourist. 'Its destruction is also a loss for foreigners.'

The gate had been off-limits to the public after the Japanese colonial authorities built an electric tramway nearby in 1907.

That changed in 2006, when the government opened it to the public and spruced up the surrounding area with grass and colourful lights.

The government has already said it would rebuild the landmark. The project would take at least three years and cost about 20 billion won (S$30 million), according to the CHA.

However, experts said the planned rebuilding would be an uphill task.

'It is difficult to restore the gate to its original state because it is impossible to find 600-year-old wood,' said Mr Park Chol Won, who runs an engineering firm specialising in restoring old buildings.

'Moreover, there are very few builders who know how to construct this kind of rare structure.'

This is not the first time a historical site has been gutted in South Korea.

Since 1984, there have been 16 fires on the premises of cultural properties made of wood, including one at the Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, on the outskirts of Seoul. That particular property had been listed as a Unesco Cultural Heritage site.

leeteejong@yahoo.com