Sewoon District 4 Review Put on Hold Again... Seoul: “Declining Trust in Public Administration”

[Financial News] The Seoul Metropolitan Government expressed concern that the National Heritage Administration’s decision to put off again the National Heritage Committee’s review of a preservation plan for buried cultural heritage at Sewoon District 4 would delay the project and erode trust in, and predictability of, public administration. According to the city on the 30th, this is the fourth postponement since the initial review in January 2024. Earlier, on the 21st, the National Heritage Committee’s Subcommittee on Buried Heritage postponed its review, citing the principle of preserving heritage in situ and the need to safeguard the historical and cultural identity of the area surrounding the site.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government says that while it respects the historical value of buried cultural heritage and the need to preserve it, the National Heritage Committee must conduct a thorough expert review in accordance with relevant laws.
Article 14 of the Act on the Protection and Investigation of Buried Heritage defines preservation measures to include preservation in situ and preservation through relocation. Article 14 of the Enforcement Decree of the same Act requires a comprehensive assessment of the heritage’s value and state of preservation, its potential for use, and the public and private interests that may be affected.
The city said, “Taking into account the results of previous investigations and the progress of preservation measures, it is necessary to consider in a balanced way not only preservation in situ but also the possibility of preserving and making use of historical value through relocation.” It added, “The review of a preservation plan for buried cultural heritage and the World Heritage Impact Assessment for Jongmyo Shrine are separate procedures with different legal bases and purposes.”
The city stressed in particular that disagreements over the World Heritage Impact Assessment should not become a reason to delay the review of buried cultural heritage, and that the preservation plan must be assessed independently and objectively according to the legal purpose and standards of that review.
It urged the National Heritage Administration “to stop repeatedly postponing reviews and to make a prompt, responsible decision based on consistent standards, taking into account both the review and investigation process to date and the preservation of cultural heritage and the rights of citizens.”
Meanwhile, Sewoon District 4 is a project whose preservation-plan review by the Cultural Heritage Committee was put on hold in January 2024. Since then, in line with the committee’s recommendations, the project has carried out additional investigations, revised the preservation plan, and completed backfilling at the excavation site with approval from the National Heritage Administration. The assessment is that if the preservation method for the site, which was originally slated for relocation, is changed under the current principle of preservation in situ, it could significantly affect both the preservation and exhibition plans and the architectural plans.
[email protected] Kwon Jun-ho Reporter