Citizens Hit Government for Covering Up Fire Scene
By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter
Hundreds of citizens who gathered around the collapsed Namdaemun structure criticized the government for trying to cover up the scene in a hurry. The devastated cultural heritage was hidden from view Tuesday as the authority surrounded it with an ivory-colored steel fence to protect the fire scene.
``The fence will go up to 16 meters. Once completed, it will be impossible for people to see Namdaemun until its restoration,'' said a worker of Samsung Engineering & Construction that is installing the steel wall around the building.
Citizens gathering at the crumbled landmark said the fast construction of the fence is as part of the government's efforts to wipe out people's memory of the fire as fast as possible.
``The fences installed should be removed immediately,'' said Jang Joon-young, a civic group head visiting the site to mourn. ``The debris should be left as it is for a while to be used as a vivid lesson for government officials and others responsible for the tragedy.''
Another worker installing the fence said ``Once the scene is out of sight, it will not take that long for people to forget the heart-wrenching incident. The scene should remain public for some time to help arouse people's attention to greater care for national treasures.''
Lee Hak-seong, a man running a supermarket nearby the six centuries old wooden structure, also saw the move as an act to help conceal and belittle the seriousness of the incident.
A policeman on the site said police started to inspect the scene from Tuesday morning but denied to give detailed information, citing he was not authorized to comment.
``The inspection started this morning but it is still unclear how long it will continue. Inspectors are now sorting out what can be reused in restoration,'' the policeman said.
According to Cultural Heritage Administration, it is under negotiation to draw a line to distinguish recyclable debris for restoration. ``We plan to keep wood not suitable to be reused in a museum as a means of anti-fire education,'' it said.