Yeongnyeongjeon Hall at Jongmyo Shrine enshrines the spirit tablets of King Taejo’s four royal ancestors from the early Joseon period, along with those of kings and queens whose tablets were transferred from the main hall. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
Korea Heritage Service Vows to Protect Jongmyo Shrine After Court Upholds Seoul Development Plan
SEOUL, Nov. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s cultural heritage authority pledged Thursday to prevent Seoul’s Jongmyo Shrine from losing its UNESCO World Heritage status following a Supreme Court ruling that upheld a city ordinance easing development restrictions near the site.
The Korea Heritage Service said it “respects the court’s decision” but will “take all necessary measures in close consultation with the Cultural Heritage Committee, UNESCO, and relevant organizations” to safeguard the shrine’s heritage value.
The Supreme Court earlier in the day rejected a lawsuit filed by the culture minister seeking to nullify a 2023 Seoul Metropolitan Council ordinance that relaxed height limits for construction projects outside designated preservation zones. The court ruled that the law did not require Seoul to consult the heritage agency before revising its ordinance.
The dispute centers on Seoul’s redevelopment plan for Seun Zone 4, located about 180 meters from Jongmyo Shrine in central Seoul. The city plans to raise the height limit of buildings there to up to 145 meters, arguing the area lies beyond the 100-meter buffer zone defined as a protected area under current law.
The Supreme Court has upheld the validity of a Seoul Metropolitan Government ordinance that eased development restrictions outside designated historical and cultural preservation zones without consulting the Korea Heritage Service, formerly the Cultural Heritage Administration.
The ruling drew attention amid controversy over the redevelopment of the Seun Zone 4 area across from Jongmyo Shrine in central Seoul, which has sparked concerns of a repeat of the so-called “royal tomb view apartment” dispute. The photo shows the Seun Zone 4 area in Jongno District, Seoul, on November 6. (Yonhap)
Seoul’s Redevelopment Push Revives Old Questions About Korea’s Balance Between Growth and Preservation
Heritage officials, however, have warned that high-rise construction could undermine the shrine’s “outstanding universal value,” the key criterion for its UNESCO World Heritage designation.
In April, UNESCO sent a letter to the Seoul city government expressing concern that the Seun redevelopment plan could negatively affect the site and urged the city to conduct a heritage impact assessment.
Jongmyo Shrine, which enshrines the ancestral tablets of kings and queens from the Joseon Dynasty and the Korean Empire, was inscribed as a World Heritage site in 1995. It is among Korea’s first UNESCO listings, alongside Seokguram Grotto, Bulguksa Temple, and the Haeinsa Temple Janggyeong Panjeon.
Aerial view of Jongmyo Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site (Image provided by the Korea Heritage Service National Heritage Portal)
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
