Seoul, Feb 1 (IANS) – A fire broke out at the National Hangeul Museum in central Seoul on Saturday, prompting a large-scale emergency response from local authorities.
According to the Yongsan District Office and fire officials, the blaze originated on the third floor and quickly spread to the fourth, where stored construction materials complicated firefighting efforts.
Authorities declared a Level 1 emergency alert within 50 minutes of the fire’s outbreak, deploying 140 personnel to bring the situation under control, Yonhap news agency reported.
The museum, currently closed to the public for expansion work, saw multiple evacuations. One firefighter sustained injuries after being struck by falling steel debris and was immediately hospitalized. Meanwhile, two construction workers were rescued, and four others managed to escape safely.
To safeguard cultural assets, museum officials had preemptively relocated artefacts off-site during the expansion. As an additional precaution, authorities now plan to transfer the remaining artefacts to the nearby National Museum of Korea.
Initial investigations suggest the fire may have been caused by sparks from steel-cutting operations at the construction site. A full probe is underway to determine the exact cause.
Established in 2014, the National Hangeul Museum is dedicated to preserving and promoting the Korean writing system, Hangeul.
Culture Minister Yu In-chon visited the site, urging authorities to coordinate closely with fire officials for a swift response. He was briefed on the extent of the damage and instructed museum staff to prioritize containment and recovery efforts.
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