1954 Busan Yongdusan fire

The Busan Yongdusan fires, also known as the Yongdusan Park Great Fire (Korean: 용두산 공원 대화재; Hanja: 龍頭山公園大火災),^[1] was a series of two fires that happened on December 10 and December 26, 1954 around Yongdusan Park, Busan, South Korea. The two fires resulted in the destruction of hundreds of shanty buildings, along with the evacuation of around 7,420 refugees in total.^[1]

The December 26 fire, in particular, caused the loss of around 3,400 historic relics, including historic portraits of kings of the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897). The relics, many of which were considered National Treasures, had been brought to the area for safekeeping during the 1950–1953 Korean War and were kept in a local warehouse owned by the Busan National Music Center. Of the 48 royal portraits kept in the warehouse, 30 were completely lost. The others were recovered in varying conditions, with most being heavily damaged.^[2]