Park Han-sol reports on Korea's financial regulators, along with fintech and insurance. She previously wrote about the art world, from biennales and exhibitions to fairs and auctions, with a focus on Seoul and the figures shaping the scene. Before joining The Korea Times, she spent a year at ABC News' Seoul bureau, contributing to coverage of major Asia-Pacific events.
Korea Heritage Service urges city cooperation on Jongmyo impact assessment
A rendered image of a proposed Sewoon 4 District development project shows a 145-meter-high tower erected in front of UNESCO heritage site Jongmyo Shrine. The image is based on Seoul Metropolitan Government's revised building height restriction. Courtesy of Korea Heritage Service
By Park Han-sol
The Korea Heritage Service (KHS) has confirmed that UNESCO has urged “strong measures” in response to the Seoul city government’s revised development plan permitting high-rise construction across from Jongmyo Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The state agency also vowed to strengthen domestic legal protections for heritage sites like Jongmyo and proposed setting up a joint working group with the city to coordinate on the issue.
“On Saturday night, we received a formal diplomatic statement from the UNESCO World Heritage Centre,” Huh Min, chief of the KHS, said at a press conference at the National Palace Museum, Monday.
“As noted in the ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) report, the U.N. body expressed concern that high-rise development in Sewoon District 4 could compromise the historical and cultural integrity of Jongmyo,” he added. “It has urged the city to carry out a thorough heritage impact assessment, submit its findings to the World Heritage Centre and suspend any redevelopment approval until the centre and its relevant advisory bodies complete their review.”
The KHS has forwarded the statement outlining these concerns to the city government on Monday morning.
Huh Min, chief of the Korea Heritage Service, speaks during a press conference at Seoul's National Palace Museum of Korea, Monday. Yonhap
Jongmyo has housed ancestral rites for kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) since its establishment in 1395 and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995. It is considered the oldest and best-preserved Confucian royal shrine in East Asia.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government recently announced revised height limits for the Sewoon District 4 redevelopment zone — located about 180 meters from the shrine’s front gate — that double the cap from 71.9 meters to 145 meters at the southern end. The change comes seven years after the limits were first set in consultation with the KHS. A Supreme Court ruling on Nov. 6 cleared the way for the city to move forward.
Following its official designation of Jongmyo and its surrounding area as a World Heritage District on Nov. 13, the KHS said it plans to work with relevant government bodies to revise the Enforcement Decree of the Special Act on Conservation, Management and Utilization of World Heritage, in order to establish a clearer regulatory framework.
The agency also proposed a working-level meeting with the city as soon as possible.
“We ask the city government to conduct a heritage impact assessment so that any redevelopment can address residents’ concerns while still safeguarding the cultural, historical and environmental significance of Jongmyo,” Huh said.
However, the city pushed back in a statement Monday, arguing that the issue “should not be misrepresented as though Jongmyo is on the verge of losing its World Heritage status.”
The city government criticized what it described as repeated pressure from the KHS, noting that the agency designated the area surrounding Jongmyo as a World Heritage District only after Sewoon District 4 became controversial, calling the move reactive.
“This shows that the KHS failed to fulfill its duties in a timely manner and is now using the designation to target a specific project,” a city spokesperson said.