UNESCO Issues Warning Over Jongmyo; Seoul Pushes Ahead With Review as National Heritage Agency Files Charges

Unauthorized Damage to Heritage Site Before Excavation Completion Sparks Peak Conflict
Fears of International Embarrassment Ahead of July World Heritage Committee in Busan
Heomin Hur: "Three-Party Dialogue Needed to Prevent Disaster"

Excavation drill spotted at the site of store remains discovered in Sewoon District 4.

Jongmyo Shrine, which was inscribed as Korea's first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995 alongside Seokguram Grotto and the Tripitaka Koreana, now faces an unprecedented risk of being stripped of its status. The escalating conflict over the high-rise development in Sewoon District 4, which is essentially the front yard of Jongmyo, has culminated in a national administrative agency filing criminal charges against a public enterprise. The situation has spiraled out of control, with heavy machinery being brought onto an archaeological site before the excavation was completed and an international organization issuing an ultimatum-like warning letter.

On March 16, the National Heritage Agency filed a complaint with Hyehwa Police Station in Seoul against Seoul Housing and Communities Corporation (SH Corporation), the developer of the Sewoon District 4 Urban Environment Improvement Project, for violating the Act on the Protection and Investigation of Buried Cultural Heritage. The agency cited the unauthorized large-scale drilling work, which seriously damaged the integrity of the heritage site. During a press briefing on the same day, Heomin Hur, Commissioner of the Cultural Heritage Administration, criticized, "It is a clear violation of current law to conduct civil engineering excavations on land where the investigation has not been completed," adding, "It is truly regrettable that a public enterprise and the Seoul Metropolitan Government feel they can disregard procedures that citizens must follow."

From March 11 to 12, SH Corporation drilled eleven unauthorized holes with a diameter of 280mm and a depth of 38 meters at the heritage site. This area is a key archaeological zone where, since 2022, remains of approximately 590 Joseon-era building sites, 199 wells, and traces of the village gate (Imun) have been unearthed. There are also academically valuable features, such as pit burials containing at least seven sets of cattle bones, with archaeological layers preserved down to a depth of 7.5 meters.

Officials from the National Heritage Agency visiting the drilling site within the remaining store heritage area of Sewoon District 4.

The preservation plan submitted by SH Corporation was postponed by the Cultural Heritage Committee last year due to insufficient detail. However, SH Corporation proceeded with a surprise civil engineering operation without even submitting materials for a re-examination. In response, the National Heritage Agency conducted an on-site inspection on March 13 and ordered all work to be suspended and equipment to be withdrawn.

This domestic legal controversy has escalated into a critical diplomatic issue ahead of the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee, which will be held in Busan in July. On March 14, the World Heritage Centre sent a letter warning that if Seoul continues with the high-rise development while ignoring UNESCO's recommendations, it could negatively impact the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of Jongmyo Shrine.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and Jongno District have broken the previously agreed-upon height limit of 11.9 meters and are now pursuing ultra-high-rise development projects up to 145 meters. In response, UNESCO has pressured the authorities, stating that if they do not confirm their intent to undergo a World Heritage Impact Assessment by the end of this month, the situation at Jongmyo will be placed on the "conservation agenda" or a forced on-site inspection will be conducted at the Busan World Heritage Committee meeting. This is regarded as a preliminary step toward downgrading Jongmyo to "Heritage in Danger" status or even stripping it of its title. For the Seoul Metropolitan Government, which aims to have the Hanyang Fortress inscribed as a World Heritage Site next year, this could prove to be a costly blunder.

Heo Min, Commissioner of the Cultural Heritage Administration, expressed the international community's serious concerns about Jongmyo during a press briefing held at the National Palace Museum on the afternoon of the 16th.

A breakthrough for resolving the issue remains elusive. Recently, the National Heritage Agency and the Seoul Metropolitan Government held two preliminary coordination meetings, but only managed to confirm their differences. The conflict has further escalated as representatives of local residents, frustrated by project delays, filed a civil lawsuit against officials of the National Heritage Agency, seeking KRW 25.5 billion in damages.

While the Seoul Metropolitan Government is pushing ahead with plans to hold a unified review committee for the redevelopment project on March 19, the National Heritage Agency has proposed forming a "three-party top-level consultative body" to avert disaster. The proposal calls for a direct meeting between Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon, Jongno District Mayor Jeong Moonheon, and Commissioner Heomin Hur, with the understanding that the project review will be fully suspended. Commissioner Hur urged swift participation in dialogue, stating, "If project implementation approval is completed, reversing it will come at an even greater cost."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.