# Namdaemun destroyed **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 10, 2008, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/namdaemun-destroyed/437057 "2008-02-10T19:20:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2008, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/namdaemun-destroyed/437057/21 "2008-02-12T05:24:34Z")
Actually, no. I tend to go with evidence instead of whacked-out nut-job conspiracy theories. And, as someone else mentioned, it’s a Korean national treasure that dates back far before the splitting of the countries. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2008, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/namdaemun-destroyed/437057/22 "2008-02-12T12:13:58Z")
> [@](#): > > _Monty_ > \*t’s a Korean national treasure that dates back far before the splitting of the countries. Well, yeah, and it’s also been rebuilt plenty of times. When they rebuild it it will be yet another reproduction but - as I understand attitudes to these things in most of Asia - no less a national treasure for it. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2008, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/namdaemun-destroyed/437057/23 "2008-02-12T15:11:09Z")
[QUOTE=devilsknew] Really, Monty? You really can’t think of any reasons why the North Korean Government would create this incident, and you really can’t see why the South Koreans would have reason to supress this? Highly motivated, idealogue, Cult of Personality types are one reason. [/QUOTE] The gate is a symbol of Korea, not South Korea. It’s not even a relic of the monarchy. The North Korea government has no incentive to destroy it. He caused arson damage in 2006 to a royal palace? Why is he on the streets only two years later? I don’t think he will be let out of state custody again. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/namdaemun-destroyed/437057/24 "2008-02-13T04:27:05Z")
[QUOTE=HazelNutCoffee] A North Korean wouldn’t burn down Namdaemun. They’d probably bomb a government building instead. [/QUOTE] I’m asking in earnest, **HNC**. What’s the story behind the serious damage and apparent destruction of Namdaemun during the Korean War? Who damaged it? I’m still pretty ignorant of parts of the Korean War… > [@](#): > > The Japanese administrators who destroyed many architectural monuments, did not touch the gate even when the walls were finally demolished. However, Namdaemun’s wooden superstructure was seriously damaged during the Korean War, and had to be restored by 1961, to be designated "National Treasure No.1’’ in the following year. > > The gate will again be restored, but it will take years, and it will contain less fragments of the 1398 structure which survived earlier renovations and disasters. [Korea Times](http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/02/117_18709.html) ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/namdaemun-destroyed/437057/25 "2008-02-13T05:35:00Z")
[QUOTE=devilsknew] I’m asking in earnest, **HNC**. What’s the story behind the serious damage and apparent destruction of Namdaemun during the Korean War? Who damaged it? I’m still pretty ignorant of parts of the Korean War… [/QUOTE] I found a [picture of the Namdaemun](http://rokdrop.com/2006/06/23/uncovered-korean-war-photographs/) during the war that shows well the damage. As to who damaged it, during the Korean war, Seoul changed hands a number of times and was the site of intense fighting. I just assume, from the photo, Namdaemun got caught in the cross-fire. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/namdaemun-destroyed/437057.md?page=1)