<P> Later investigations revealed that the fire was indeed an act of arson . A 69 - year - old man , identified as Chae Jong - gi ( Hangul : 채종기 ; Hanja : 蔡宗基 ) , was taken into police custody on February 12 , on the suspicion that it was he who started the fire . Chae confessed to the crime 30 minutes after his arrest . According to police reports , Chae arrived at Namdaemun around 8 : 35 p.m. carrying an aluminum ladder , three 1.5 - liter bottles of paint thinner , and two cigarette lighters . With the ladder , he climbed the western wall of the gate , entered the gate , and walked up to the second floor . There , he started the fire by sprinkling the floor with paint thinner and lighting it . Chae stated that he had started the fire because he was upset about not having been paid in full for land he had sold to developers . Chae had also been charged with setting fire to the Changgyeong Palace complex in Seoul in 2006 . </P>
<P> Later investigations revealed that the fire was indeed an act of arson . A 69 - year - old man , identified as Chae Jong - gi ( Hangul : 채종기 ; Hanja : 蔡宗基 ) , was taken into police custody on February 12 , on the suspicion that it was he who started the fire . Chae confessed to the crime 30 minutes after his arrest . According to police reports , Chae arrived at Namdaemun around 8 : 35 p.m. carrying an aluminum ladder , three 1.5 - liter bottles of paint thinner , and two cigarette lighters . With the ladder , he climbed the western wall of the gate , entered the gate , and walked up to the second floor . There , he started the fire by sprinkling the floor with paint thinner and lighting it . Chae stated that he had started the fire because he was upset about not having been paid in full for land he had sold to developers . Chae had also been charged with setting fire to the Changgyeong Palace complex in Seoul in 2006 . </P>
where had the man set a fire in 2006 for which he was also arrested and charged
where had the man set a fire in 2006 for which he was also arrested and charged
Changgyeong Palace complex in Seoul
Changgyeong Palace complex in Seoul