A fire erupted on Tuesday (June 10) in a building adjacent to Seoul’s historic Jogye Temple, which houses national treasures and cultural artefacts. Authorities confirmed that the blaze was successfully brought under control without injuries or damage to any of the valuable items. More than 300 monks and officials from the Jogye Order, South Korea’s largest Buddhist sect, were meeting in the building’s conference hall at the time. All individuals were safely evacuated, according to Kang Kyung-chul, a fire department official from Seoul’s Jongno district.

Thick smoke was seen rising from the building, prompting the dispatch of approximately 30 fire trucks to the scene. The structure is used by both the Jogye Order and a Buddhist museum that safeguards two national treasures and several important cultural heritage objects. The exact nature of the treasures housed in the building has not yet been confirmed. Firefighters managed to prevent the fire from reaching the temple’s main worship hall, which is primarily made of wood and could have sustained severe damage. Thanks to the concrete design of the affected building, the spread of the fire was limited.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. As a precautionary measure, museum officials and monks on site have begun preparations to temporarily move select items to protect them from possible smoke and soot damage. The prompt response by emergency services helped avert what could have been a significant cultural loss at one of South Korea’s most important Buddhist landmarks.