Police said Thursday that the recent fire at Gyeongbokgung in Seoul had burned for much longer than initially presumed, with investigators considering the possibility of arson.
Officials at the Seoul Jongno Police Station said they are investigating a man who was seen at the scene of the fire right before it started at 4 p.m., March 27. It was initially thought that the flames started around 5:30 a.m. on March 28, and were extinguished by a security guard in just 15 minutes, but surveillance footage showed smoke rising from the previous day.
Spontaneous ignition was initially suspected, but police now believe it may have been an arson.
The suspicious man seen in the footage lingered for about a minute near where the fire started at the Joseon-era palace's Sambimun. Exactly what he did was not captured by the camera.
Police identified the suspect on March 30, but were unable to apprehend him because he had left the country just a few hours earlier. Officers did not disclose information about the suspect.
Officials are enhancing the quality of the surveillance footage and are considering summoning the suspect for questioning.
Gyeongbokgung was the primary palace of Joseon (1395-1910), built by the kingdom's founder King Taejo after he moved the capital to Seoul, then called Hanyang.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
