President Lee Criticized for Raising Jongmyo Landscape Issue
"Amending the Enforcement Decree Does Not Make It Subject to Impact Assessment
National Heritage Administration Faces Concerns Over Abuse of Administrative Power"
Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon criticized President Lee Jaemyung for mentioning the potential damage to the Jongmyo landscape during the presidential work report, calling it a "superficial question." He also reiterated his commitment to promoting the development of the Sewoon District 4 area.
On December 17, through his Facebook account, Mayor Oh stated, "Watching the questions and answers regarding the development of the Sewoon District, I was dismayed that such a critical agenda as Seoul's future urban development could be treated so lightly," expressing his concerns.
He pointed out, "The president casually threw out a question, the head of the National Heritage Administration criticized Seoul as if the city was causing problems with the preservation of Jongmyo, and then exaggeratedly claimed that amending the law would allow the development of three districts to be blocked through a World Heritage Impact Assessment."
He repeatedly criticized the National Heritage Administration's move to revise the Enforcement Decree of the World Heritage Act, stating that it would hinder development in northern Seoul. Mayor Oh said, "The head of the National Heritage Administration's remarks about regulating with the law is a very serious matter that could effectively halt all redevelopment and development projects across Seoul," adding, "The very idea of a particular government agency steering urban planning based on its own biased perspective is an excessive abuse of discretionary power."
Regarding President Lee, he added, "Through superficial questions and answers, he ultimately undermined Seoul's efforts to transition into a future-oriented city," and emphasized, "Instead of driving Seoul into a corner with one-sided arguments that distort the essence of the issue, the government should work together to seek rational alternatives to resolve the problem."
Previously, Heo Min, head of the National Heritage Administration, responded to President Lee's question about the controversy over the Jongmyo landscape by saying, "For now, the Jongmyo area has been designated as a World Heritage Zone, and if the World Heritage Act passes in March next year, Seoul will have to undergo a World Heritage Impact Assessment for the Sewoon District 4 project."
The World Heritage Act mentioned by Heo appears to refer to the amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the World Heritage Act currently being pursued by the National Heritage Administration. The proposed amendment would expand the cultural heritage zone from the current 100 meters to 500 meters and aims to manage environmental damage, noise, and air pollution caused by large-scale construction projects.
On December 17, the Seoul Metropolitan Government issued an additional statement to clarify its position regarding the amendment being pursued by the National Heritage Administration. The city explained, "The World Heritage Act targets projects within World Heritage Zones for impact assessment," and "Since Sewoon District 4 is located outside the designated zone, simply amending the enforcement decree would not make it subject to the impact assessment."
The city further pointed out, "While UNESCO's recommendations should be respected, the recommendations of international organizations cannot replace domestic laws and due legal procedures," and warned, "Expanding regulations without clear legal grounds could lead to controversy over abuse of administrative power."
Additionally, the city stated, "If necessary, we have proposed to the National Heritage Administration to immediately conduct a joint landscape simulation review to clarify the standards and to hold substantive consultations, including developing alternatives."
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