Arsonist jailed for setting fire to top Korean treasure

Seoul: A South Korean man who burnt down the country's top cultural treasure was jailed for 10 years on Friday.

Sixty-nine-year-old Chae Jong-gi set fire to the 600-year-old Namdaemun gate in Seoul, which is one of the few historic structures left after the 1950-1953 Korean War.

"It was inevitable for us to hand down such a heavy sentence given that [the arsonist] inflicted on the public an unimaginable amount of psychological pain and caused a loss of face for this country," the court said in its decision.

Ahead of the trial, Chae apologised for burning down the gate, saying he was only angry at the government for not fairly compensating him in a property dispute.

The gate was considered as cultural treasure number one. It is being rebuilt at a cost of 25 billion won ($25.10 million) and is expected to reopen in 2012.