Korea Heritage Service warns development around Jongmyo could hurt national reputation
A block of cleared land denotes Sewoon District 4, a redevelopment zone just south of Jongmyo Shrine, in central Seoul Nov. 18, 2025. / Yonhap
The Korea Heritage Service (KHS) warned Monday that Seoul’s continued refusal to comply with UNESCO’s request to conduct a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) on its development plan — which permits high-rise construction across from Jongmyo Shrine — could ultimately “damage the country’s reputation internationally.”
The agency added that while it currently lacks domestic legal grounds to formally demand such an assessment, it plans to do so once revisions to the Enforcement Decree of the Special Act on Conservation, Management and Utilization of World Heritage are finalized within the first quarter.
“There are a few nations that have been unable to carry out HIAs due to unforeseeable factors such as armed conflict or climate disasters,” KHS Administrator Huh Min said at a press conference at Government Complex Seoul. “But to my knowledge, there are no cases in which a country has declined to conduct an assessment after being explicitly asked to do so.”
Founded in 1395, Jongmyo has served as the site of ancestral rites for the kings and queens of the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty. It was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1995 and is widely regarded as the oldest and best-preserved Confucian royal shrine in East Asia.
Last October, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced revised height limits for the Sewoon District 4 redevelopment zone, located about 180 meters from Jongmyo’s front gate. Under the new plan, the maximum building height would double from 71.9 meters to 145 meters.
Korea Heritage Service Administrator Huh Min speaks during a press conference at Government Complex Seoul, Monday. Yonhap
The state heritage authority has strongly pushed back against the decision, noting that the U.N. body explicitly stipulated that no nearby high-rise development should be approved if it could undermine the site’s visual integrity — an element considered central to Jongmyo’s Outstanding Universal Value.
Although two working-level meetings were held between the KHS and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, they failed to produce an agreement. A third meeting has yet to be scheduled.
“Korea will host this year’s session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. I believe the country was able to secure such a major international event because of the trust it has built within the international community through its long-standing commitment to protecting cultural heritage,” said Kim Ji-hong, an associate professor of architectural engineering at Hanyang University.
“If the Korean government were to fail to carry out the recommendations concerning its own world heritage sites, there is a real risk that this hard-earned trust could quickly erode.”
The KHS stressed that an HIA is not intended to serve as a blanket measure to block development around world heritage sites.
“Not all projects near these sites will be subject to the HIA,” Huh said. “Each proposal will first undergo a preliminary review and if the impact on the heritage site is found to be minimal, it will be exempted from a full assessment and allowed to proceed.”
Even for projects that do require a full HIA, the agency said it would minimize administrative procedures to ensure swift processing. To that end, it plans to promptly appoint assessment bodies and shorten review periods.
It will also work closely from the outset with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and other official advisory bodies to prevent delays arising from multiple rounds of coordination with international institutions. The goal, the agency added, is to complete the entire process within one year.