Fire at Gyeongbok Palace put out after 15 mins, damages gate | Yonhap News Agency

## Summary
OK SEOUL, March 28 (Yonhap) -- A fire broke out at Gyeongbok Palace early Saturday, and partially damaged a wooden gate and pillar at the royal palace, although it was extinguished in about 15 minutes, the state heritage agency said. The fire broke out near Sambimun, the outer gate leading to Jaseondang Hall at Gyeongbok Palace, in central Seoul at around 5:35 a.m. and was put out at around 5:50 a.m. by a safety guard on patrol, according to the Korea Heritage Service (KHS). Fire-damaged gate at Gyeongbok Palace This photo, provided by the Korea Heritage Service, shows the aftermath of a fire that took place near Sambimun, the outer gate leading to Jaseondang Hall, at Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul at around 5:30 a.m. on March 26, 2026. The gate was partially damaged by the fire. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) mlee@yna.co.kr (END) Keywords #palace #fire Articles with issue keywords Most Liked 'BTS: The Return' captures brotherhood under 'heavy crown': director (2nd LD) Han Kang's 'We Do Not Part' wins NBCC Award for haunting portrayal of trauma (LEAD) BTS stages concert in Seoul's Gwanghwamun to mark long-awaited return (Movie Review) 'Salmokji: Whispering Water': mood runs deeper than plot (News Focus) Han Kang's NBCC win again spotlights art of translation Most Saved 'BTS: The Return' captures brotherhood under 'heavy crown': director (2nd LD) Han Kang's 'We Do Not Part' wins NBCC Award for haunting portrayal of trauma (News Focus) Han Kang's NBCC win again spotlights art of translation (Movie Review) 'Salmokji: Whispering Water': mood runs deeper than plot (LEAD) BTS stages concert in Seoul's Gwanghwamun to mark long-awaited return Most Viewed All Categories Lee vows to swiftly retake wartime command from U.S., speed up military reform including selective conscription Trump says 'Cuba is next' as he highlights America's 'great' military N.

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SEOUL, March 28 (Yonhap) -- A fire broke out at Gyeongbok Palace early Saturday, and partially damaged a wooden gate and pillar at the royal palace, although it was extinguished in about 15 minutes, the state heritage agency said. No casualties were reported.
The fire broke out near Sambimun, the outer gate leading to Jaseondang Hall at Gyeongbok Palace, in central Seoul at around 5:35 a.m. and was put out at around 5:50 a.m. by a safety guard on patrol, according to the Korea Heritage Service (KHS).
Fire authorities later conducted an on-site inspection, the KHS said, citing spontaneous combustion as a potential cause of the fire.
No signs of personnel or inflammable material were reportedly found at the site of the fire.
Huh Min, the administrator of the KHS, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that an investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire is under way.
Huh vowed to regularly operate an around-the-clock disaster center to prevent similar accidents amid the dry season.
Gyeongbok Palace is the largest of Seoul's royal complexes, with the number of visitors reaching around 6.9 million last year. The figure accounted for 38.7 percent of all visitors to royal palaces and tombs.
Fire-damaged gate at Gyeongbok Palace
This photo, provided by the Korea Heritage Service, shows the aftermath of a fire that took place near Sambimun, the outer gate leading to Jaseondang Hall, at Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul at around 5:30 a.m. on March 26, 2026. The gate was partially damaged by the fire. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)
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Fire at Gyeongbok Palace put out after 15 mins, damages gate

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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
N/A

### Areas for Consideration
- The gate was partially damaged by the fire. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) mlee@yna.co.kr (END) Keywords #palace #fire Articles with issue keywords Most Liked 'BTS: The Return' captures brotherhood under 'heavy crown': director (2nd LD) Han Kang's 'We Do Not Part' wins NBCC Award for haunting portrayal of trauma (LEAD) BTS stages concert in Seoul's Gwanghwamun to mark long-awaited return (Movie Review) 'Salmokji: Whispering Water': mood runs deeper than plot (News Focus) Han Kang's NBCC win again spotlights art of translation Most Saved 'BTS: The Return' captures brotherhood under 'heavy crown': director (2nd LD) Han Kang's 'We Do Not Part' wins NBCC Award for haunting portrayal of trauma (News Focus) Han Kang's NBCC win again spotlights art of translation (Movie Review) 'Salmokji: Whispering Water': mood runs deeper than plot (LEAD) BTS stages concert in Seoul's Gwanghwamun to mark long-awaited return Most Viewed All Categories Lee vows to swiftly retake wartime command from U.S., speed up military reform including selective conscription Trump says 'Cuba is next' as he highlights America's 'great' military N.
- Korea, Ukraine FMs agree to handle issue of N.

### Implications
- The gate was partially damaged by the fire. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) mlee@yna.co.kr (END) Keywords #palace #fire Articles with issue keywords Most Liked 'BTS: The Return' captures brotherhood under 'heavy crown': director (2nd LD) Han Kang's 'We Do Not Part' wins NBCC Award for haunting portrayal of trauma (LEAD) BTS stages concert in Seoul's Gwanghwamun to mark long-awaited return (Movie Review) 'Salmokji: Whispering Water': mood runs deeper than plot (News Focus) Han Kang's NBCC win again spotlights art of translation Most Saved 'BTS: The Return' captures brotherhood under 'heavy crown': director (2nd LD) Han Kang's 'We Do Not Part' wins NBCC Award for haunting portrayal of trauma (News Focus) Han Kang's NBCC win again spotlights art of translation (Movie Review) 'Salmokji: Whispering Water': mood runs deeper than plot (LEAD) BTS stages concert in Seoul's Gwanghwamun to mark long-awaited return Most Viewed All Categories Lee vows to swiftly retake wartime command from U.S., speed up military reform including selective conscription Trump says 'Cuba is next' as he highlights America's 'great' military N.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers fire, palace, gyeongbok topics. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 528.