Heritage experts again urged the Seoul metropolitan government to conduct an assessment on the potential impact of the high-rise project near the Jongmyo Shrine, as the controversy between the Seoul metropolitan government and heritage experts over the project continues.
“The Seoul metropolitan government’s plan for the redevelopment of the central Seoul site where the Seoul high-rise project is to be built must not go ahead without a Heritage Impact Assessment,” the statement posted on the website on Wednesday said.
“The Jongmyo Shrine is a World Heritage site that represents the Republic of Korea, and its protection is not only a domestic task but also a pledge to the international community,” the statement said, referring to the official name of South Korea.
Jongmyo is the shrine where the ancestral tablets of the kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) are enshrined.
The Seoul metropolitan government is planning to build a high-rise business and residence district with a large green park on the site of the Sewoon District 4, located right in front of the UNESCO heritage site. The location is where the old Sewoon Arcade, Korea’s oldest electronics market, is located.
However, while the city government says that the redevelopment plan will give a new life to the area by creating new green spaces, the heritage officials are of the view that the redevelopment plan may damage the historical landscape of the shrine.
ICOMOS Korea earlier urged the Seoul Metropolitan Government to suspend the project and accept its offer to jointly consider the possible impact of the project on the shrine with the Korea Heritage Service (KHS) and relevant experts.
Under the law, development projects are required to undergo a mandatory assessment of their possible impact on cultural heritage if they are located within 100 meters of a cultural heritage site designated by the government in the capital area.
However, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has rejected the offer by citing that Sewoon District 4 is located 180 meters away from the shrine.
The police complaint was filed by the KHS against the project developer, Seoul Housing and Urban Development Corp., for the violation of the Buried Cultural Heritage Protection Act. The agency accused the developer of sudden drilling operations in areas of the redevelopment project, in which the official completion of the archaeological survey had yet to take place.
This incident occurred three months after a group of residents in the area filed a lawsuit against the state and the heritage agency, demanding 16 billion won (US$10.68 million) in damages for the delay in the redevelopment project.
