Construction Companies of Gimpo Jangneung Apartments Ignore 'Height' Issues

No Fundamental Solutions in Improvement Plan... Only Exterior Wall Color and Finishing Materials Mentioned
Assemblyman Park Jeong: "Ignoring the Root Cause... Cultural Heritage Committee Must Convene to Devise Measures"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Controversy is arising as construction companies that built apartments around the World Heritage site, Gimpo Jangneung, have failed to include fundamental solutions in their improvement plans. According to materials released on the 21st by Park Jung, a member of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee (Democratic Party), Daebang Construction, Daekwang ENC, and JS Global, which are building apartments in Geomdan New City, Incheon, only mentioned the exterior wall colors and finishing materials of the apartments as measures to reduce the impact on Jangneung's historical and cultural environment. Their proposal was to paint the finishing colors in hues emphasizing Jangneung and to place a hexagonal pavilion outdoors.

The core issue is the height. The standard for changes in the historical and cultural environment preservation area of Jangneung is a height of 20 meters. All three construction companies built apartments at heights of 70 to 80 meters without submitting individual review applications. The Cultural Heritage Administration considers it a violation of the Cultural Heritage Protection Act that nineteen out of forty-four apartment buildings, part of a complex with about 3,400 households, located within the heritage preservation area, did not undergo prior review. On the other hand, the construction companies argue that Incheon Urban Corporation, which sold the apartment land in 2014, applied for a change permit for the cultural heritage site to Gimpo City Hall, so there is no problem. Currently, construction on twelve buildings has been halted.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Cultural Heritage Administration planned to review the construction companies' improvement plans and decide on a response after deliberation by the Cultural Heritage Committee. However, they are at a loss as the effectiveness of the improvement plans is low. Assemblyman Park said, "The construction companies maintaining the height, which can be considered the root cause of this incident, while only changing colors and designs, is ignoring the fundamental issue," and urged, "The Cultural Heritage Administration must promptly convene the Cultural Heritage Committee and devise countermeasures." Gimpo Jangneung is one of the forty Joseon royal tombs registered as a World Heritage site. It is the burial site of King Wonjong, posthumously honored as the father of King Injo, and his wife Queen Inheon. The Joseon royal tombs are located according to feng shui principles, with a main mountain (jusan) behind and an ancestral mountain (josan) corresponding to the dragon's peak in front. The josan for Gimpo Jangneung is Gyeyang Mountain. With the large-scale apartment complex developed in Geomdan New City, Incheon, it has become obscured. If the World Heritage status is lost due to the apartment height issue, other Joseon royal tombs could also be collectively stripped of their qualifications.