Seoul: Heritage experts again called on the Seoul metropolitan government to assess the potential impact of a high-rise project near Jongmyo Shrine amid an ongoing dispute between local officials and heritage authorities over the development plan.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Korean National Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), a UNESCO advisory body, stated that the redevelopment plan in central Seoul "must not go ahead without a Heritage Impact Assessment." The statement emphasized that Jongmyo, a World Heritage site, represents the Republic of Korea, and its protection is a commitment to both the domestic and international communities.
Jongmyo Shrine holds the ancestral tablets of the Joseon Dynasty's kings and queens. The city's plan aims to transform Sewoon District 4, located directly across from the UNESCO-listed shrine, into a high-rise business and residential district featuring a massive green park. This area includes Sewoon Arcade, Korea's oldest electronics market, which is now obsolete.
While city officials believe the redevelopment will rejuvenate the district with new green spaces, heritage officials argue that the project could compromise the shrine's historical landscape. ICOMOS Korea had previously urged the city government in November to halt the project and consider a joint review of its potential impact on the shrine with the Korea Heritage Service (KHS) and expert groups.
Under current laws, development projects within 100 meters of a state-designated cultural heritage site in the capital require mandatory heritage impact assessments. However, Seoul city authorities have rejected this proposal, citing that Sewoon District 4 is approximately 180 meters away from the shrine's boundary.
The situation has intensified, with both sides at an impasse over conducting the impact assessment and other contentious issues. Earlier this month, the KHS filed a police complaint against the project developer, Seoul Housing and Urban Development Corp., accusing them of violating the Buried Cultural Heritage Protection Act. The agency alleged that the company conducted unauthorized drilling work in parts of the redevelopment zone where an archaeological survey was incomplete.
This complaint followed a lawsuit filed three months ago by a group of local residents against the state and heritage agency, seeking 16 billion won (US$10.68 million) in damages due to the redevelopment project's delays.