Oh Sehoon: "National Heritage Administration's Administrative Abuse... It Will Be Hard to Avoid Responsibility"

Co-hosted a forum with the People Power Party's Seoul City Chapter at the National Assembly

Protested the National Heritage Administration's repeated deferrals of deliberations

Pitched a "future-oriented commercial district" for the Sewoon District

Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon criticized the National Heritage Administration's decision to defer deliberations on preservation plans for buried heritage, calling it "administrative abuse of power." Oh said the agency is demanding only a World Heritage Impact Assessment whose legal basis is unclear, adding that it would be difficult for the agency to avoid legal responsibility in the future.

Oh made the remarks while attending a forum titled "Preserving World Heritage and the Future of Cities: Finding a Path to Coexistence," held with the People Power Party's Seoul City Chapter at the National Assembly on the morning of November 3. "More than 20 years after work began on Sewoon District 4 in front of Jongmyo Shrine, construction has yet to break ground," he said.

Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon and People Power Party leader Jang Donghyuk greet each other at a forum titled “Preserving World Heritage and the Future of Cities: Finding a Path to Coexistence,” held at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building on the 3rd. Yonhap News Agency

In his opening remarks, Oh stressed, "Seoul is a city with a 600-year history that has continually changed and developed. Protecting our precious cultural heritage and preparing for the city's future to improve residents' lives are responsibilities the Seoul Metropolitan Government can never neglect." He also outlined the city's position on managing cultural heritage in the downtown area and redeveloping its surroundings. "The Yulgok-ro restoration project reconnected Changgyeonggung Palace and Jongmyo Shrine, which had been severed during Japanese colonial rule, after 90 years," he said. "We also restored the woldae platform at Gyeongbokgung Palace and redeveloped the plaza in front of Jongmyo Shrine, Seosulla-gil and the former gas station site in front of Changdeokgung Palace while preserving their historical value."

On development in the Sewoon District, Oh expressed dissatisfaction with the National Heritage Administration's administrative decisions. "The National Heritage Administration has repeatedly deferred deliberations on preservation plans for buried heritage and is even demanding the cancellation of the approval for an amendment to the project implementation plan," he said. "This is clearly administrative abuse of power lacking a legal basis, and ultimately, it will be difficult for the agency to avoid legal responsibility."

Oh also said delays in the redevelopment of the Sewoon District were increasing the harm to local residents. "Urban planning concerns residents' lives and livelihoods," he said. "For that reason, the role and responsibilities of local governments, which know the situation on the ground best, must also be respected."

The forum discussed ways for world heritage preservation and urban development to coexist. Kim Gwanghyeon, an emeritus professor in the Department of Architecture at Seoul National University, chaired the session. Presentations were given by Professor Kim Jiyup of the Department of Architecture at Sungkyunkwan University and Professor Nam Jin of the Department of Urban Planning and Engineering at the University of Seoul. The panel included lawyer Jeon Jinwon of Yulchon LLC, ICOMOS Korea Chair Choi Daeheon, Kim Seungbae, head of the Korea Real Estate Development Industry Research Institute, and Kim Yongbae, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Urban Regeneration Division. The city plans to actively incorporate the opinions raised at the forum into its urban development policy. Oh also urged the National Assembly to work together to improve relevant laws and systems.

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