Another Royal Tomb View? Controversy Over 34-Story Building Planned in Front of World Heritage Site Jongmyo Shrine

[Financial News] A high-rise building up to 141.9 meters will be permitted in Sewoon District 4, a redevelopment site across the street from Jongmyo Shrine, Korea’s first UNESCO World Heritage site. This height allows for a commercial building of about 34 stories. Cultural experts have raised concerns that the new structure could damage the view of Jongmyo Shrine. Meanwhile, local residents are hopeful that the redevelopment project, which has been stalled for over 20 years, will finally gain momentum.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s official gazette on the 3rd, the city announced on the 30th of last month a change to the "Sewoon Redevelopment Promotion District and District 4 Redevelopment Promotion Plan" and its topographical map. The key point of this announcement is the change in height restrictions for Sewoon District 4. The maximum building height along Jongno has been relaxed from 55 meters to 98.7 meters, and along Cheonggyecheon Stream from 71.9 meters to 141.9 meters.
This is the first time in seven years since 2018 that the height restrictions for Sewoon District 4 have been changed.
Sewoon District 4 was designated as an Urban Environment Improvement Zone in 2004, but redevelopment has stalled due to the need to preserve historic views, ensure profitability, and frequent changes in project plans. In particular, the project was halted in 2018 after failing to pass the Cultural Heritage Committee review by the Cultural Heritage Administration (now the Korea Heritage Service), which is mandatory for project approval. As a result, height limits of 55 to 71.9 meters were established.
However, with the new height plan, related debates are expected to intensify. The Korea Heritage Service maintains that the value of Jongmyo Shrine, a World Heritage site, must not be compromised.
Jongmyo Shrine is a state shrine where the ancestral tablets of the kings and queens, emperors and empresses of the Joseon Dynasty and the Korean Empire are enshrined and memorial rites are performed. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995, alongside Seokguram Grotto, Bulguksa, and the Janggyeongpanjeon Depositories of Haeinsa Temple, as Korea’s first World Heritage sites.
The Korea Heritage Service insists that a World Heritage Impact Assessment is essential, as redevelopment could negatively affect the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) that earned the site its World Heritage designation.
In contrast, the Seoul Metropolitan Government argues that Sewoon District 4 is not subject to height restrictions. The district is located about 180 meters from Jongmyo Shrine, outside the Historic and Cultural Environment Preservation Zone (which, by Seoul standards, extends 100 meters from the heritage site). Therefore, the city maintains that it cannot be regulated under the Special Act on the Preservation, Management and Utilization of World Heritage.
A Historic and Cultural Environment Preservation Zone is designated to protect cultural heritage sites. Within 500 meters of the outer boundary of a heritage site, the mayor or provincial governor must consult with the head of the Korea Heritage Service and establish regulations by ordinance.
The Korea Heritage Service is currently reviewing possible responses based on the details of the "Sewoon Redevelopment Promotion District and District 4 Redevelopment Promotion Plan" announced by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
going@fnnews.com Choi Ga-young Reporter