Seoul City: "Cultural Heritage Administration Only Unilaterally Pressures... Must Participate in Joint Measurement for Sewoon District 4"

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has expressed regret to the Cultural Heritage Administration regarding the redevelopment of Sewoon District 4 near Jongmyo. The city cited the Cultural Heritage Administration's repeated refusal to engage in dialogue, insisting instead on its existing position that a World Heritage Impact Assessment must be conducted.

On the 19th, Lee Minkyoung, spokesperson for the Seoul Metropolitan Government, stated in an official statement, "The Commissioner of the Cultural Heritage Administration is unilaterally pressuring the city of Seoul and Jongno residents by repeatedly insisting that a World Heritage Impact Assessment is mandatory," and added, "This is not an issue that should be decided or imposed by a single agency alone."

Heo Min, Commissioner of the Cultural Heritage Administration, is giving opening remarks at the World Heritage Impact Assessment press briefing held on the 19th at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun

She further explained that the Cultural Heritage Administration had not responded to the city's repeated requests for dialogue. The spokesperson said, "This issue must be discussed with comprehensive consideration of the suffering endured by residents in an area that has long been neglected, as well as the overall urban planning of Seoul," and continued, "Accordingly, the city has continuously requested that the Cultural Heritage Administration engage in a four-party public-private-government consultation involving residents to discuss all issues, including the World Heritage Impact Assessment. However, the Cultural Heritage Administration has not responded to these requests and has not provided any official reply."

She particularly pointed out that, regarding concerns over potential damage to the Jongmyo landscape, the city had proposed a joint measurement, but even this was rejected by the Cultural Heritage Administration. The spokesperson said, "We proposed a joint measurement to verify the actual building heights, but the Cultural Heritage Administration refused. It is questionable whether there is any willingness to resolve the issue through consultation, given their attitude of repeating the call for a World Heritage Impact Assessment like a parrot, while rejecting objective and transparent verification and communication."

Regarding the Commissioner's statement that projects outside the World Heritage Zone could also be subject to impact assessment, she said, "This is no different from arbitrarily restricting citizens' property rights," and emphasized, "The World Heritage Impact Assessment should not become a tool to undermine the development of the Sewoon District."

The city once again urged the Cultural Heritage Administration to participate in a joint measurement using aerial balloons. The spokesperson stated, "A field verification, starting with the actual measurement of building heights in Sewoon District 4 as proposed by the city, should be the starting point for discussions. We urge the Cultural Heritage Administration to refrain from making claims that distort the actual building heights and to participate in the joint measurement."

The city reaffirmed its agreement with the fundamental principle of preserving World Heritage sites and reiterated its openness to objective verification and reasonable consultation at any time. The spokesperson concluded, "The Seoul Metropolitan Government hopes that the relevant agencies will meet as soon as possible to find a reasonable solution through dialogue."