A Korean Landmark Burned to the Ground in Fire

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD class=news03 height=55>A Korean Landmark Burned to the Ground in Fire</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD class=news10 width=391> A centuries-old landmark in central Seoul collapsed early this morning after it was destroyed by an unexplained fire over the weekend. The historic Sungnyemun, a two-story wood-and-stone structure, which served as a main gate to the capital during the 1392-to-1910 Joseon Dynasty, was reportedly torched Sunday evening. Around 50 fire trucks and hundreds of firefighters were at the scene trying to contain the blaze and salvage what was left of the gate, which is Korea's ''National Treasure Number 1.'' Fire officials are reportedly still trying to verify the exact cause of the blaze and are NOT ruling out arson. Several witnesses who were near scene around the time of the incident claimed they saw a suspicious individual loitering around the gate. A passerby claims he saw smoke billowing from Sungnyemun soon after he saw a man entering the premises using a metal ladder. Local authorities had earlier speculated the fire began because of an electrical short circuit. ALSO now some are finding fault with the firefighters' passive response to the fire, claiming that precious time was lost when fire officials and the Cultural Heritage Administration took too much time to figure out a way to extinguish the fire. FEB 11, 2008 <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD colSpan=3> </TD></TR> <TR> <TD class=news04 colSpan=3>Reporter : <A href="mailto:kaynam@arirang.co.kr">kaynam@arirang.co.kr</A></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>     <A href="http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View.asp?code=Ne2&nseq=78363&category=2">http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View.asp?code=Ne2&nseq=78363&category=2</A> ------------------------------------------------  </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> * unexplained fire : a. 설명이 없는, 이유가 밝혀지지 않은 * reportedly : ad. 전하는 바에 의하면, 소문에 의하면;보도에 따르면 * salvage : '구하다' 의 뜻에서 n.구출, (화재에서의) 인명 구조, 《특히》 (피보험) 재화(財貨)의 구출;구출 재화 * ar·son : n.  【법】 방화(죄)~·ist n. 방화범;방화마(魔) * ruling out  : (규정등에 의하여) 제외하다, 배제하다 * suspicious individual : 수상한 사람 * loitering around : 쓸데없이 돌아다니다; 근처를 얼쩡거리다. * smoke billowing : 연기가 뭉게뭉게 나다. * premises : 구내 (構內) (e.g) Do not smoke on the premises. (구내에서는 금연입니다.) * electrical short circuit : 누전  (e.g)  An electrical short caused the fire. (화재 원인은 누전이었다.) * extinguish the fire : 소화작업