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Unesco asks Seoul gov't to suspend approval of high-rises near Jongmyo Shrine

Published: 17 Nov. 2025, 17:31 Updated: 17 Nov. 2025, 17:52

A rendered image of what the surrounding area near Jongmyo would look like if a building as high as 145 meters (476 feet) were constructed in Sewoon District 4 [KOREA HERITAGE SERVICE]

Unesco requested that Seoul Metropolitan Government suspend unilateral approval for a high-rise development project across from Jongmyo Shrine — a Unesco World Heritage site since 1995 — and conduct a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA), marking the organization’s first official stance following controversy over potential damage to the shrine’s scenic value.

“Unesco expressed significant concern about the current situation and pointed out the potential for damage to Jongmyo’s landscape, requesting that a thorough heritage impact assessment be conducted,” said Huh Min, administrator of the Korea Heritage Service (KHS), during a press briefing held at the National Palace Museum of Korea in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Monday.

Huh added that the diplomatic letter containing these points had been forwarded to the city government.

"The letter also includes a request to submit the impact assessment results to the World Heritage Center and suspend development approval for Sewoon District 4 and other areas until the Center and its advisory bodies have completed a positive review,” Huh said.

The letter, sent to Korea via its permanent delegation to Unesco, was received by the KHS on Saturday and delivered to Seoul city officials on Monday morning.

An official from the KHS said the document was issued following a third-party complaint, with a request for the Korean government to respond within a month with its position and additional information.

Huh Min, administrator of the Korea Heritage Service (KHS,) speaks during a press briefing held at the National Palace Museum of Korea in Jongno District, central Seoul on Nov. 17. [YONHAP]

The service noted that the message was unusually strong in tone compared to typical correspondence related to site management.

The Cheonggyecheon-Euljiro Preservation Alliance, a civic group, previously submitted a letter to Unesco expressing concerns that the proposed developments in Sewoon Districts 2 and 4 would negatively affect Jongmyo’s Outstanding Universal Value, according to the KHS. The group requested that Unesco dispatch representatives to Korea to assess the situation.

In response, the International Council on Monuments and Sites, an advisory body to Unesco, sent a letter in April urging a comprehensive and complete HIA for the Sewoon area.

However, Seoul rejected the request, citing the lack of domestic legal grounds for such an assessment, and on Oct. 30 announced changes to the redevelopment plan for Sewoon District 4, raising the height limit to 145 meters (476 feet).

Huh emphasized Monday that domestic institutions cannot unilaterally refuse to conduct an HIA.

A rendered image of what the surrounding area near Jongmyo would look like if a building as high as 145 meters (476 feet) were constructed in Sewoon District 4 [KOREA HERITAGE SERVICE]

“Heritage impact assessments are part of international-level conservation and management systems that all countries party to the World Heritage Convention are required to follow under Unesco guidelines,” Huh said. “These assessments ensure that development can coexist with heritage protection. The KHS does not oppose redevelopment in Sewoon District 4.”

The service also released simulation images showing how a 145-meter building would appear above Jongmyo’s main hall, Jeongjeon, its front gate and the surrounding skyline. It said this was meant to counter the city’s framing of the issue as one of “shadowing,” which it argued distracts from the core problem of landscape damage.

The KHS also emphasized that Jongmyo Shrine, recognized for its serene landscape and refined architecture that honors nature, has been preserved in its entirety for centuries and is valued as a globally significant heritage site.

Separately from the HIA, the KHS also outlined steps to strengthen the domestic legal framework for managing the shrine. Huh noted that on Thursday, the shrine’s designated historical site area — roughly 194,000 square meters (2 million square feet) — was formally classified as a World Heritage Zone.

He said the agency would expedite revisions to the enforcement decree of the World Heritage Act.

The Jongmyo Shrine and surrounding areas are seen in this photo released by the Korea Heritage Service [KOREA HERITAGE SERVICE]

Although the law, enacted last year, includes a mandate for HIAs in heritage zones, its enforcement decree remains pending due to interagency disagreements. However, the act does allow the KHS to require an HIA even outside the designated zone if deemed necessary.

Regarding the Nov. 6 Supreme Court ruling that upheld the city council’s deletion of an ordinance regulating construction near heritage areas, the service said legal review is ongoing.

While the court found no fault in the ordinance's removal, it acknowledged that the KHS retains the authority to take administrative measures under the Cultural Heritage Protection Act.

“We are examining with legal experts whether Article 12 of the Cultural Heritage Protection Act, which broadly refers to heritage conservation, could provide a legal basis for intervention in projects like Sewoon District 4,” said Lee Jong-hoon, director of historic sites policy at the KHS.

A rendered image of what the surrounding area near Jongmyo would look like if a building as high as 145 meters (476 feet) were constructed in Sewoon District 4 [KOREA HERITAGE SERVICE]

Huh proposed convening a mediation meeting involving the city government, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the KHS “as soon as possible.”

When asked if the agency would stick to the current height cap of 71.9 meters, Huh said, “There is room for discussion, but 145 meters seems unlikely.”

“I cannot understand why the city has suddenly reversed its position after more than 20 years of negotiation,” Huh added, expressing direct criticism of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s administration.

Seoul designated the Sewoon Redevelopment Promotion District in 2006 and applied for a heritage alteration permit in 2009. Through 15 rounds of deliberations up to 2021, it had agreed to height limits of 55 meters on the Jongno side and 71.9 meters on the Cheonggyecheon side. Final project approval came in 2018, followed by an amended permit in 2021.

On Oct. 30, the city unilaterally revised the height cap to 101 meters on the Jongno side and 145 meters on the Cheonggyecheon side — nearly doubling the previous limit — as its redevelopment process for the area stalled.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KANG HYE-RAN [[email protected]]