A man walks past as firefighters try to extinguish a fire at Namdaemun, a historic gate which was given the status of National Treasure No. 1, in central Seoul February 11, 2008. The fire broke out on Sunday at Namdaemun, the oldest wooden structure in Seoul, with the cause of the fire yet to be determined

A 70-year-old man has confessed that he set a fire on the Sungnyemun Gate in downtown Seoul, which led to collapse of the symbolic ancient structure of South Korea early Monday, local police said on Tuesday.

The suspect, whose surname is identified as Chae, admitted that he committed arson on the gate late Sunday after being arrested in Ganghwa Island, west of Seoul, by police late Monday.

Police said they found at Chae's home clothes and a bag similar to those described by witnesses who told police they saw a man appearing to be in his 60s carried near Sungnyemun, also called Namdeamun, with a backpack and a ladder.

Police also found a bottle of paint thinner at the suspect's home, police said.

According to the police, Chae was confirmed to be the arsonist who set ablaze a part of a former royal palace, Changgyeong, in central Seoul in April 2006 and caused some 4 million won (about 4,200 U.S. dollars) in damage. Chae claimed then that he committed arson in anger against the alleged wrong handling of the compensation for his land confiscated for housing construction.

A letter taken from Chae Monday shows that he set a fire to attract social attention on unsettled compensation for his land inIlsan, a new town in northwestern Gyeonggi Province, the police said.

The Sungnyemun Gate was the southern gate of the walls that surrounded Seoul during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). The construction of the gate began in 1395 and was finished in 1398 during the reign of King Taejo, who founded the Joseon Dynasty.

It is the oldest wooden structure in Seoul and was designated the No. 1 National Treasure in 1962.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet