Deogyusan Resort Tyrol Hotel, located in Muju-gun, Jeollabuk-do, was completely extinguished in 4 hours and 50 minutes after a fire broke out at 11:40 pm on the 20th. The hotel viewed from the ski resort on the 21st is scorched black. Reader provided = Newsis
A fire at the Tirol Hotel in Deogyusan Resort, Muju, Jeollabuk-do on the night of the 20th, summoned Michael Jackson, a world-famous pop star who died in 2009. This is because Jackson, who visited Korea in 1997 to discuss investment, stayed at this hotel for 3 days and 2 nights.
Concerns continued whether the fire horse that hit the hotel burned Jackson’s traces, but fortunately, the damage to the room he stayed in was reported to be minor.
The fire department said on the 21st, “The roof of the hotel, which was made of wooden structures, was all burned, but the rooms were stacked with concrete, so the flames did not spread far into the interior,” said the fire department.
At the time, Jackson came to Korea to discuss investment in the Muju Resort Children’s Garden, which was owned by Ssang Bang-ul. According to reports 24 years ago, he visited Muju with three bodyguards and a Korean-American lawyer.
The party used the entire 5th floor of the hotel, and Jackson stayed in suite 501. At the time, the JoongAng Ilbo reported, “The resort is said to have installed hundreds of balloons of all colors on the corners and ceilings of a 60-pyeong hotel suite, which costs 3.8 million won per day, and an entertainment machine is installed in one corner of the living room.”
The phrase Michael Jackson engraved on the small wooden table by the bed. ‘Please save and save our children. Korea is’God’ and Muju is love. It is written as'(LOVE and SAVE OUR CHILDREN. KOREA IS GOD AND MUJU IS LOVE. LOVE always)’ with eternal love. Michael Jackson Republic=Yonhap News
Jackson left his mark by engraving letters on the wooden side table next to the bed in this room.
‘LOVE and SAVE OUR CHILDREN. KOREA IS GOD AND MUJU IS LOVE. LOVE always(Love the children and save them, Korea is God and Muju is love. With eternal love)’
A picture of a human face was also engraved next to the phrase. Since then, the resort has renamed the room to’Michael Jackson’s room’ to commemorate Jackson’s stay.
During his visit to Korea, Jackson met former President Kim Dae-jung, a prominent opposition presidential candidate, and returned to Korea in February 1998 to attend the inauguration ceremony of President Kim Dae-jung. They even submitted a letter of intent to invest in Muju Resort, but no actual investment was made.
Michael Jackson met former President Kim Dae-jung during his visit to Korea in 1997. Central photo
The other room on the 5th floor where Jackson stayed also has a deep connection with the star. It is Room 504 where former professional golfer Se-ri Park stayed. Pak Se-ri, who usually enjoys skiing, visited this place in 2001, hurt her shoulder, and took a break in Room 504. He also left pictures and autographs in the room.
Meanwhile, according to the fire department, a flame started on the wooden structure on the 5th floor of the hotel around 11:4 pm on the 20th. 83 guests and 4 employees, who had stayed in 31 of the hotel’s 118 rooms, all evacuated the building before the fire began to spread. The fire was completely extinguished around 3:55 a.m. on the 21st, and no human injury occurred.
The cause of the fire is being investigated in detail, but the fire department estimates that the fire has started due to the overheating of the firewood boiler.
Reporter Juhee Hong [email protected]