A fire at Jogyesa Temple in Jongno District, central Seoul, has been extinguished on Tuesday morning.
The fire started at a conference hall of the Korean Buddhist History and Culture Memorial Hall at around 10:22 a.m.
The fire did not spread to the Central Buddhist Museum, which houses a large collection of cultural heritage, or to Jogyesa Temple itself. About 100 citizens, monks and staff were evacuated, according to Yonhap News Agency.
No casualties were reported.
The cause of the fire has not yet been announced. But an eyewitness said the fire started in an air conditioner on the ceiling.
The Central Buddhist Museum, which is connected to the memorial hall, exhibits about 20 national treasures, including an 18th-century Buddhist painting from the Heungguk Temple in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province.
Firefighters said the artifacts have been moved to the National Palace Museum in central Seoul.
