Firefighters work to contain a fire that broke out at the National Hangeul Museum in central Seoul on Saturday. (Yonhap)
Firefighters work to contain a fire that broke out at the National Hangeul Museum in central Seoul on Saturday. (Yonhap)

A fire broke out at the National Hangeul Museum in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul, on Saturday.

The fire started on the third floor of the museum around 8:40 a.m. and spread to the fourth floor, where construction materials were being stored.

The fire was brought under control around 12:30 p.m., and no further spread is expected, according to Yongsan Fire Station.

But, the fire authority is maintaining the Level 1 firefighting response issued earlier while searching for any remaining embers.

No injuries were reported. Four museum staff members evacuated and two were rescued by the firefighters. Since the museum has been closed for facility expansion since last October, there were no visitors or exhibits inside at the time.

But a firefighter was injured during the operation when a metal beam fell on him. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yoo In-chon also arrived at the scene at 11:30 a.m.

The museum, which has been storing its artifacts in a separate storage, will move the collection to the nearby National Museum of Korea for the time being to prevent damage, according to the ministry.

The National Hangeul Museum opened in 2014 to promote the Korean language and culture, and houses various treasures such as letters and writings of Jeongjo, the 22nd monarch of the Joseon Dynasty, and Korea's first collection of poems "Cheonggu Yeongeon."

Fire authorities suspect sparks that occurred during the expansion construction might have triggered the blaze, according to local news reports.