Oh Sehoon Steps Up as 'Star Lecturer' on Sewoon District 4 Redevelopment: "Time for a Decisive Move" [Real Estate AtoZ]

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is explaining through the video titled 'One-Shot Mayor Oh Se-hoon - Comprehensive Summary of Jongmyo and Sewoon District 4 Issues.' Seoul City

Regarding the redevelopment controversy of Sewoon District 4 in front of Jongmyo, Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon explained the development process and plans.

On December 3, Mayor Oh addressed various controversies surrounding the redevelopment of Sewoon District 4 through a video titled 'One-Shot Mayor Oh Sehoon - Comprehensive Summary of Jongmyo and Sewoon District 4 Issues,' which was released on the Seoul Mayor's official website. He also presented a comparison between the landscape simulation images and those provided by the National Heritage Administration to clarify his position.

He stated, "The redevelopment of the Sewoon District is in line with the 'Gangbuk Renaissance Era.' As Sewoon Sangga has stood for 58 years and now poses a safety threat to citizens, it is time to make a decisive move."

He further emphasized, "If we create a continuous green axis connecting Jongmyo and Namsan in Seoul, where the green space ratio is severely lacking, it will become a groundbreaking success story in urban planning history worldwide. Recreating the city through the establishment of a green ecological downtown is a universal welfare measure for Seoul citizens, who have a high demand for green spaces."

Mayor Oh also explained, "The enormous cost of approximately 1.5 trillion won required for the redevelopment of the Sewoon District can be addressed by adopting a 'combined development method,' which increases the floor area ratio for the private sector and uses the resulting development profits to create green spaces. If we build low and wide buildings as originally planned, there will be neither economic feasibility nor green space."

Regarding the differing perspectives on the landscape in front of Jongmyo due to the Sewoon District development, he presented simulation images from both the National Heritage Administration and the city. Mayor Oh pointed out, "Sewoon District 4 is located at the western end, not directly in front of the main hall of Jongmyo, so from the average Seoul citizen's eye level, only the upper part of the building would be slightly visible." He added, "As Prime Minister Kim Minseok mentioned, it is important to verify whether the view is truly stifling and oppressive." He continued, "The images are completely different from those of the National Heritage Administration. Thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), running simulations these days is not difficult. You can try running the simulation yourself."

He also addressed concerns that Jongmyo's UNESCO World Heritage designation could be revoked. Mayor Oh criticized, "UNESCO must go through a complex process, including discussions with the concerned country and the approval of more than two-thirds of member states. Exaggerating the possibility of cancellation is an inflammatory claim that undermines the national interest."

Regarding the National Heritage Administration's assertion that a World Heritage Impact Assessment is required, he argued, "Telling Sewoon District residents, who have already faced delays of over 20 years, to undergo an impact assessment that could take more than four years is essentially telling them to abandon the project." He added, "Sewoon District 4 is located 180 meters from Jongmyo's outer gate, so even if it is designated as a heritage buffer zone (100 meters), it is not subject to the assessment."

He also refuted allegations that the city doubled the floor area ratio and failed to implement excess profit recovery measures in response to the request of Hanho Construction, which owns part of the land in Sewoon District 4.

Mayor Oh explained, "The amount of development profit to be used as funds for the green axis was about 18.4 billion won for low-rise buildings, but after increasing the height, it rose to about 200 billion won, a twelvefold increase. The company in question purchased the land between October 2022 and September 2023, after the city announced its development plan in April 2022, so the timeline is incorrect."

The redevelopment of Sewoon District 4 has been delayed for about 20 years, with plans changing each time a new mayor took office. Although it was designated a maintenance area in 2004 and received project implementation approval in 2018, progress has been slow. The project was delayed for a long time due to low profitability caused by height restrictions and repeated reviews for historical landscape preservation.

On October 30, the city announced the 'Sewoon Redevelopment Promotion District and District 4 Redevelopment Promotion Plan Decision (Amendment) and Topographic Map,' changing the maximum building height from 55 meters to 98.7 meters along Jongno and from 71.9 meters to 141.9 meters along Cheonggyecheon. The Supreme Court ruled that deleting the regulation restricting construction within 100 meters of the Jongmyo boundary was not illegal, making it possible to proceed with the project.

However, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the National Heritage Administration have opposed the project, arguing that it could damage the view and surrounding landscape of Jongmyo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They also expressed their intention to block the project through legislative amendments and the enactment of special laws. In response, the city maintains that the redevelopment district is located 180 meters from Jongmyo, outside the 100-meter historical and cultural environment preservation zone, and therefore does not require consultation with the National Heritage Administration.