The government has met to discuss how it will rebuild Sungnyemun, one of the nation's most important landmarks, after it burned down Sunday night.

The meeting was attended by the prime minister, the home minister, and the heads of the National Emergency Management Agency and the Cultural Heritage Administration. Prior to the meeting, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo visited the site in central Seoul to assess the damage.

The 610-year-old gate collapsed after being engulfed by a blaze late Sunday.

Political parties called the fire "deplorable." They plan to discuss restoration measures at a parliamentary cultural committee.

The parties decided to hold related government agencies accountable, saying the fire resulted from their negligence.

They also accused related agencies of incompetence in their attempts to contain the fire at the initial stage.

President-elect Lee Myung-bak visited the gate's remains Monday morning.

He called the gate a symbol of Seoul, whose collapse must have caused the public great concern.