Seoul: A fire that erupted at the National Hangeul Museum in central Seoul on Saturday was successfully extinguished after approximately four hours, resulting in an injury to one firefighter while preserving the museum's artifacts, officials reported.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Yongsan District Office and fire officials stated that the fire began at 8:40 a.m. on the third floor of the museum and rapidly spread to the fourth floor. The presence of construction materials on-site complicated firefighting efforts. Authorities responded by issuing a Level 1 emergency alert within 50 minutes of the fire's outbreak, deploying 262 personnel to tackle the blaze, which was finally subdued by 12:30 p.m.

The museum, which is temporarily closed to the public for expansion work, saw one firefighter injured by falling steel debris, leading to an immediate hospital transfer. Additionally, two construction workers were rescued from the premises, while four others evacuated safely.

To safeguard the museum's collection amidst ongoing construction, artifacts had been preemptively stored separately. Following the fire, remaining artifacts were moved to the nearby National Museum of Korea as a precautionary measure.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the fire might have originated from sparks during steel-cutting operations at the construction site, with authorities conducting a comprehensive investigation to ascertain the precise cause.

The National Hangeul Museum, established in 2014, is focused on promoting the cultural and linguistic value of Hangeul, the Korean writing system. In response to the incident, Culture Minister Yu In-chon visited the museum, pushing for a coordinated response with fire authorities. According to the ministry, Yu was briefed on the firefighting operations and damage assessment, instructing museum and emergency personnel to prioritize fire suppression and damage mitigation in collaboration with fire officials.