33 artifacts relocated to National Palace Museum after Tuesday's blaze at Jogyesa complex

Central Buddhist Museum exhibition ends early in wake of fire

Black smoke rises from the Korean Buddhism History and Culture Memorial Hall next to Jogyesa, a Buddhist temple in central Seoul, Tuesday. (Yonhap)

Thirty-three Buddhist artifacts displayed at the Central Buddhist Museum next to Jogyesa, a Buddhist temple in central Seoul, were relocated to the nearby National Palace Museum of Korea late Tuesday, after a blaze broke out at a building within the temple complex earlier that day.

The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism on Wednesday issued a statement confirming that it had safely moved 33 artifacts that were on display at the museum in a preventative measure prompted by the fire. The relocated items include nine state-designated National Treasures, nine state-designated Treasures, two Regional Tangible Cultural Heritage and 13 nondesignated artifacts. No damage was reported or found to the artifacts, it added.

Other artifacts held at a storage facility located at the museum's third basement level were not part of the transfer. The decision to keep them at the storage facility came after a safety check, a senior official at the largest Buddhist sect in Korea told The Korea Herald.

A fire broke out at the international conference hall on the second floor of the Korean Buddhism History and Culture Memorial Hall next to the temple at 10:22 a.m. The Central Buddhist Museum is on the basement level of a building connected to the Korean Buddhism History and Culture Memorial Hall. The fire was extinguished at 11:57 a.m.

Following the fire, an exhibition titled "Hoseon Euigyeom: The Buddha Revealed at the Tip of the Brush" at the museum, originally scheduled to run through June 29, ended Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Ven. Jinwoo, president of the Jogye Order, apologized for the lack of safety measures and for causing concern to the public.