Seoul Skyscraper Plan Threatens UNESCO Status of Jongmyo Shrine
Table of Contents
A contentious redevelopment plan in Seoul is sparking concerns over the potential damage to Jongmyo Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Seoul Metropolitan Government’s decision to allow buildings up to 142 meters high in the Seun District 4 redevelopment area – more than double the previous height restrictions – has drawn sharp criticism from the National Heritage Administration, raising fears that the historical landscape and cultural significance of the shrine could be compromised.
The path for the construction of significantly taller structures was cleared on April 30th, when the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced revisions to the ‘Seun Redevelopment Promotion District and District 4 Redevelopment Promotion Plan Decision (Change) and Topographic Map.’ Originally, building heights were capped at 55 meters along Jongno and 71.9 meters along the Cheonggyecheon Stream. The revised plan increases these limits to 101 meters and 145 meters, respectively. A subsequent proposal from the redevelopment project operator seeks to construct a building reaching 98.7 meters along Jongno and 141.9 meters along Cheonggyecheon.
A Historical Landscape at Risk
Seun District 4, encompassing approximately 440,000 square meters, is strategically located north of Jongmyo Shrine and south of the Cheonggyecheon Stream, bordered by Sewoon Plaza and Sewoon Shopping Center to the west. While redevelopment efforts have been underway since the area was designated an urban environment improvement zone in 2004, progress has been hampered by the need to balance modernization with the preservation of the area’s historical character. Previous height restrictions, adjusted by the Cultural Heritage Committee in 2014 to a maximum of 71.9 meters, were intended to safeguard the shrine’s visual integrity.
The National Heritage Administration voiced its “deep regret” over the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s unilateral decision, emphasizing the potential “negative impact on the outstanding universal value of Jongmyo Shrine.” A senior official stated that UNESCO, upon registering Jongmyo as a World Heritage Site in 1995, explicitly stipulated that “there will be no permits or permits for high-rise buildings in nearby areas that may have a negative impact on the landscape within the World Heritage area.”
Calls for a World Heritage Impact Assessment
The National Heritage Administration is demanding a World Heritage Impact Assessment (WHIA) – a process mandated by the ‘Special Act on the Preservation, Management and Utilization of World Heritage’ (World Heritage Act) – before any further development proceeds. The agency criticized the city government for dismissing its request for a WHIA, arguing that the existing consultation plan maintaining the lower height limit should have been prioritized.
“We requested that the existing consultation plan (under 71.9m) be maintained, a World Heritage impact assessment be conducted first according to UNESCO recommendations, and the change process be promoted by reflecting the results,” the National Heritage Administration explained. “However, the Seoul city government did not accept this and pushed ahead with this change notice.”
UNESCO guidelines recommend that World Heritage Convention countries conduct heritage impact assessments to protect World Heritage values. While Korea’s World Heritage Act was enacted in November of last year, the necessary subordinate laws detailing the assessment process are still under development.
Seoul Disputes the Need for Assessment
The Seoul Metropolitan Government maintains that a WHIA is unnecessary, asserting that Seun District 4 is not subject to height regulations. City officials also point to the fact that the area is 180 meters from Jongmyo Shrine, exceeding the 100-meter buffer zone designated as a historical and cultural environment preservation area. However, this stance contrasts with the practices of most other Korean cities and provinces, which typically designate preservation areas extending 200 meters from cultural heritage sites.
Jongmyo Shrine, established during the Joseon Dynasty, serves as a sacred space enshrining the tablets of Korean royalty. Its 1995 UNESCO designation – alongside Seokguram Grotto, Bulguksa Temple, and Haeinsa Janggyeong Panjeon – marked a significant milestone in Korea’s cultural heritage preservation efforts. The cultural community fears that the introduction of towering structures could jeopardize Jongmyo’s World Heritage status, echoing the fate of “Liverpool, Maritime Trade City” in England, which lost its designation in 2021 due to incompatible development projects.
The situation bears unsettling parallels to the recent controversy surrounding the “Royal Tombs View Apartment” near Jangneung in Gimpo, Gyeonggi-do, where construction obstructed views of another Korean World Heritage site.
The National Heritage Administration has announced plans to consult with the Cultural Heritage Committee and UNESCO to formulate a response strategy and continue discussions with the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The future of Jongmyo Shrine’s World Heritage status, and the delicate balance between urban development and cultural preservation, hangs in the balance.
