Sungnyemun gets new roof tiles as restoration proceeds

The restoration team of Seoul’s historic gateway Sungnyemun has begun the process of roof-tiling, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced Tuesday.

The roof-tiling takes place after the Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea pointed out last month that the cultural administration is not following the traditional architectural technique, and that therefore the gateway’s restoration may not be completed properly. 

During a press meeting on Tuesday, the cultural administration said that the restoration project is about 80 percent complete, and the restored gate will be unveiled to the public in December.

“The tiling of the roof will be finished by early August,” said Choi Jong-deok, who is in charge of the restoration project.

Sungnyemun was severely damaged in an arson attack in 2008 by an elderly man with a history of mental illness. The fire damaged more than 90 percent of the original roof tiles.

A total of 22,586 pieces of “giwa,” Korea’s traditional roof tiles, are being used for the newly restored gate. The tiles were made in Buyeo, South Chungcheong Province, by a group of traditional artisans who specialize in giwa-making.

On Tuesday, roof-tiling master Lee Geun-bok demonstrated the ongoing roof-tiling process on the gate’s roof.

Starting in June, the gate will also be styled with “dancheong,” traditional decorative coloring on wooden buildings. The cultural administration said it is using Japanese-made glue and paints specifically produced for painting traditional wooden buildings, as they are no longer produced in Korea.

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)