Often found at theaters and museums, Kwon Mee-yoo has covered a wide range of cultural fields from K-pop and dramas to theater and fine art for over a decade. Now as K-Culture Desk editor, she tries to connect Korean culture with global readers through fresh perspectives.
Galleries protest high-rise building plan in Insa-dong
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Shop owners in Insa-dong are protesting plans by the Seoul Metropolitan Government to allow high-rise buildings to be constructed in the area, which they say will ruin the traditional street culture found in the district.
The area near Gyeongbok Palace has long been distinctive for its concentration of art galleries, restaurants and traditional craft shops.
To exploit the increasing influx of Asian tourists in the city, municipal authorities have been looking to redevelop Insa-dong to maximize its commercial potential and create synergy with neighboring leisure destinations such as Jongno.
The street is currently protected as a “culture district,” which means that no building can have more than four floors. Businesses that are not related to art, traditional crafts or cuisine have also faced tougher restrictions in opening shops.
Plans currently debated at Seoul City Hall’s culture district deliberation committee include loosening the restrictions to allow investors to build structures up to 60 meters high, buildings of approximately 19 stories.
City officials said that investors have continuously expressed interest in building upscale hotels in the area. The discussions have been currently put on hold after a non-municipal member of the committee protested against the plan.
Yoon Young-chul, president of Insa Traditional Culture Preservation Association, which represents many of Insa-dong’s traditional craft shops, said that property investors have long been drooling over several sites in the area that they believe would be ideal for hotels.
“Members of the Insa-dong community are worried that a high-rise hotel might be constructed in this culture street,” Yoon said. “There are rumors that a real-estate company is already contacting landlords in the area for talks about a hotel.”
The owner of an art gallery, who refused to be named, said: “It is absurd to build a high-rise hotel in Insa-dong, the city’s top art district and Seoul City will harm the historical, cultural value of the area if they push forward with the plan.”
Seoul is cautious about the opposition and has notified Jongno District Office, which includes Insa-dong in its boundaries, to discuss the matter again after it collects the opinion of local residents.
"If the local community opposes the city plan, we might have to retain the restriction on types of businesses when developing Insa-dong," said an official.