Fire Breaks Out at Seoul Jogye Temple Museum, Hundreds Evacuated

A fire broke out on Tuesday morning in the Central Buddhist Museum building adjacent to Seoul's historic Jogye Buddhist temple, home to national treasures and cultural artifacts. The blaze started in the international conference hall on the second floor and was swiftly contained by firefighters, preventing it from spreading to the temple's main wooden hall. Over 300 monks and temple staff were safely evacuated, with no casualties reported. Firefighters responded with approximately 36 fire trucks and successfully limited the damage within the concrete structure. Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire while museum staff are preparing to relocate some artifacts to protect them from smoke damage. The incident has raised significant cultural concerns due to the temple's historical importance and the presence of national treasures nearby.