Fire Completely Extinguished in About 1 Hour and 30 Minutes
The fire that broke out at the Buddhist Central Museum inside Jogyesa Temple in Jongno-gu, Seoul, was completely extinguished within an hour. There have been no reported casualties or damage to cultural assets.
According to the National Fire Agency, the fire was reported at 10:22 a.m. on June 10 at the Buddhist Central Museum inside Jogyesa Temple in Gyeonji-dong, Jongno-gu. The fire was fully extinguished at around 11:57 a.m., approximately one hour and thirty minutes after the report. The first fire response team arrived at the scene within five minutes of the report, and at 10:39 a.m., twelve minutes later, issued a Level 1 response to begin firefighting operations.
A total of 142 firefighters and 35 fire trucks were dispatched to the scene.
On the 10th, a fire broke out at the Buddhist Central Museum next to Jogyesa Temple in Jongno-gu, Seoul, with black smoke rising between the buildings. 2025.6.10 Photo by Cho Yongjun
About 300 people, including members of the Jogye Order, evacuated due to the fire, and there have been no reported injuries as of now. Although there were concerns about potential damage to cultural assets, 8 out of 33 cultural assets were removed from the site, and the remaining 25 are also reported to be unharmed.
At a press briefing at the scene, Seo Beomsoo, director of the Buddhist Central Museum, stated, "A total of 33 artifacts are on display for the spring special exhibition, including 9 items from 2 National Treasures and 9 items from 5 Treasures. The fire did not spread directly to the exhibition hall or the storage area, so all sacred treasures are currently safely preserved."
Earlier, Ko Kidong, acting Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, issued an emergency directive after the fire broke out, instructing, "Firefighters, police, and local governments must mobilize all available personnel and equipment to extinguish the fire and prevent damage to cultural assets, and do their utmost to ensure that no safety accidents occur among firefighters during the firefighting process."
On June 10, a fire broke out at the Buddhist Central Museum next to Jogyesa Temple in Jongno-gu, Seoul, prompting fire trucks to respond. 2025.6.10 Photo by Cho Yongjun
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