SEOUL , South Korea ( CNN ) -- A 69-year-old who was previously convicted of torching a palace has been arrested in connection with a fire that destroyed Namdaemun , South Korea 's oldest wooden structure and a national treasure , authorities said on Tuesday . People on Monday look at the debris of the Namdaemun gate in central Seoul after the fire . Similarities between the Sunday night fire and the 2006 blaze led to the investigation of a man identified only as Mr. Chae , said Kim Young-Su , chief of police of the Namdaemun police station . Chae had served time in prison for the palace fire . Police searched the home of Chae 's ex-wife and found a can of paint thinner and a pair of leather gloves they believe were used in the fire , Kim said . Chae confessed to starting the fire , saying he was upset by a land grievance that led him to start the 2006 fire and by the sentence he was handed in that case , Kim said . Chae was free on a suspended sentence , Kim added . Chae said he chose Namdaemun because it was easily accessible by public transportation and yet situated in a lightly populated area where the fire was unlikely to hurt people , according to police . The fire burned for hours , and more than a hundred firefighters tried to save it . Watch the reaction to the Namdaemun 's destruction » . Namdaemun was more than 600 years old and stood at the center of Seoul , having served as a main gate into the capital for centuries . The gate was considered a national symbol to Koreans around the world . E-mail to a friend .
NEW : ` ` Mr. Chae '' was convicted of torching a Korean palace in 2006 . NEW : Chae has confessed to starting the Namdaemun fire , police chief says . Comment: Easy access , lightly populated area dictated Namdaemun choice , police say . The more-than-600-year-old Namdaemun was country 's oldest wooden structure .