Fire near South Korea's Jogye temple contained, treasures spared

A fire broke out on Tuesday in a building near Seoul's historic Jogye Buddhist temple that houses some of South Korea's national treasures. Authorities reported that the blaze was brought under control without any injuries or damage to the artifacts.

More than 300 monks and officials from the Jogye order were safely evacuated from the building's conference hall, where they were holding a meeting according to Kang Kyung-chul of the Jongno district fire department. Around 30 fire trucks responded to the scene after smoke was seen coming from the building.

The structure is used by the Jogye order, the country's largest Buddhist sect, and also serves as a Buddhist museum that holds two national treasures and several other cultural heritage items. The specific treasures stored in the building were not immediately identified.

Firefighters managed to keep the flames from spreading to the temple's main hall, which is largely made of wood. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

To prevent possible soot or smoke damage, museum staff and monks at the site said they were preparing to temporarily relocate some of the valuable items.

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