Jung Da-hyun is a reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues in Korea, including foreign residents, education, environment and politics. Driven by a deep interest in people’s stories, she focuses on investigative and feature reporting through direct interviews and field coverage. She received the Amnesty International Korea Media Award for her “Deepfake Crisis at Schools” series. Reach her at dahyun08@koreatimes.co.kr. Always open to hearing your stories.
Housing project reignites dispute between gov't, mayor over development near UNESCO sites
Balloons used to simulate the future skyline under redevelopment plans float above the Sewoon District 4 site in Jongno District, Seoul, Dec. 25, 2025. Yonhap
By Jung Da-hyun
Mayor decries double standards on historic sites, while heritage agency rejects accusation
The Lee Jae Myung administration’s new housing plan has rekindled a row between the central government and Seoul Metropolitan Government over a redevelopment project near the historic shrine of Jongmyo, as the president’s plan involves another heritage site.
The city government accused the government of applying double standards by blocking its high-rise redevelopment plan while backing the Lee administration’s housing construction, while the Korea Heritage Service (KHS) has questioned the city’s procedural legitimacy.
The issue goes beyond the tension between development and preservation, reflecting a tug-of-war between politicians from rival parties over development projects ahead of the June local elections.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon rekindled the debate by alleging double standards. His government has pushed for a redevelopment plan for Sewoon District 4 near Jongmyo, a UNESCO World Heritage site from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) — a plan that the KHS opposes, citing potential loss in value of the shrine.
But the housing plan announced by the Lee administration last week included building 6,800 homes near Taereung Country Club (CC). Taereung is a Joseon-era royal tomb in the city’s northeastern Nowon District, and the country club is a military golf course built in the 1960s.
Oh noted in a Facebook post Sunday that the Sewoon District 4 area lies entirely outside designated preservation zones, while 13 percent of the Taereung site falls within them.
“If the Sewoon redevelopment plan is deemed unacceptable, then the Taereung CC project should be even less so,” he said, adding that if development is permitted at Taereung CC, the Sewoon project should also be allowed to proceed.
Calling the situation “contradictory” and “a clear case of double standards,” Oh questioned how the KHS and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport could reach such divergent conclusions, and urged President Lee to clarify the government’s standards.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon speaks during a meeting with local merchants at a commercial complex in Yongsan District, Seoul, Jan. 22. Yonhap
As to Oh’s claim, Seongdong District head Chong Won-o, who is being mentioned as a potential ruling Democratic Party of Korea candidate in the next Seoul mayoral race, denounced the city government’s refusal to undergo a heritage impact assessment (HIA). Oh is from the main opposition People Power Party and seeks another term as mayor.
Chong said that development near UNESCO World Heritage sites should move forward only after undergoing the assessment and be adjusted in line with its findings.
“In the case of Taereung, the government has already said it intends to carry out an HIA,” Chong said in a Facebook post on Sunday.
“For Sewoon District 4, UNESCO has explicitly called for such an assessment, yet the city government is refusing to comply,” he added, pushing back against Oh’s claims and further deepening the clash with the ruling bloc.
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok briefly mentioned the issue Monday during a press conference, saying that if Taereung and Jongmyo are both subject to the same requirement to undergo an assessment, it would be reasonable for the projects to go through that process.
Huh Min, administrator of the Korea Heritage Service, answers questions regarding the Sewoon District 4 redevelopment plan during a plenary session of the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee, Dec. 19, 2025. Yonhap
In response to the controversy, Huh Min, administrator of the KHS, said the standards applied to the two sites were the same.
“The key difference between development plans near Jongmyo and Taereung lies in how the city government and the land ministry have approached their obligations to carry out the assessment,” Huh said on social media.
He added that when announcing the housing plan, the land ministry explicitly stated that it would complete the assessment in cooperation with the KHS, demonstrating procedural compliance.
In contrast, the city government has yet to implement recommendations from UNESCO related to development near Jongmyo.
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre sent formal letters last year to the central and city governments over the development project for Sewoon District 4, urging that an HIA be carried out. The letters also called for the project’s approval to be put on hold until reviews by UNESCO’s advisory bodies are completed.
Huh added that the assessment is an internationally recognized process and warned against “prejudging the outcome or obscuring the issue by failing to fully engage in the required procedures.”