A path has opened for the construction of a skyscraper rising up to 142 meters across from Jongmyo Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as the Seoul Metropolitan Government unilaterally approved a redevelopment plan that more than doubles the height limit for buildings along Cheonggyecheon Stream. The Korea Heritage Service (KHS) expressed “deep regret” on November 3, warning that the decision could harm the shrine’s historical landscape.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on October 30 that it had approved changes to the “Sewoon Redevelopment Promotion District and Zone 4 Redevelopment Plan.” The key change was a major height increase for buildings in Zone 4, from a previous cap of 55 meters along Jongno and 71.9 meters along Cheonggyecheon Stream to 101 meters and 145 meters, respectively. Following the change, the project developer submitted plans for two buildings rising 98.7 meters on the Jongno side and 141.9 meters along Cheonggyecheon Stream.

Sewoon Zone 4 lies between Jongmyo Shrine to the north and Cheonggyecheon Stream to the south, within a 440,000-square-meter area bordered by Sewoon Plaza and the Sewoon Arcade to the west. The area was first designated for urban redevelopment in 2004, but projects have stalled for years due to conflicts over historic preservation and profitability. In 2014, after several adjustments dating back to 2009, the KHS set the maximum building height at 71.9 meters as a condition for approval.

The KHS criticized the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s unilateral move, saying the decision “raises serious concerns about potential negative impacts on the outstanding universal value of Jongmyo Shrine.” The agency cited UNESCO’s inscription conditions of 1995, which required Korea to ensure that “no high-rise building permits are granted in adjacent areas that could adversely affect the heritage landscape.”

Under Korea’s Special Act on the Conservation, Management, and Use of World Heritage (the World Heritage Act), the KHS insists that a World Heritage Impact Assessment must be conducted before any change to the redevelopment plan. “We requested that the city maintain the previous agreement limiting height to 71.9 meters and first carry out a World Heritage Impact Assessment in accordance with UNESCO recommendations,” the KHS said. “However, Seoul pushed ahead with the revision without accepting our request.”

UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre encourages member states to conduct heritage impact assessments and provides guidelines to protect the value of heritage sites. Although Korea enacted the World Heritage Act in November 2023 to formalize this process, detailed regulations on implementation have not yet been established.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government, for its part, argues that Zone 4 does not fall under height restriction or heritage impact review requirements. The city designates areas within 100 meters of a registered cultural heritage site as protected historic zones, and Sewoon Zone 4 is located about 180 meters from Jongmyo Shrine, beyond the scope of current legal protection. However, most other provincial and municipal governments in Korea, excluding Seoul and Jeju, apply a 200-meter buffer for residential, commercial, and industrial zones.

Jongmyo Shrine, dedicated to the ancestral spirits of the kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty and the Korean Empire, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1995 along with Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple, and the Janggyeong Panjeon at Haeinsa Temple. Cultural experts warn that a skyscraper rising near the shrine could jeopardize its World Heritage status. A similar precedent occurred in the UK, where Liverpool’s “Maritime Mercantile City” was listed as “World Heritage in Danger” in 2012 and ultimately delisted in 2021 due to large-scale redevelopment around the site.

Observers fear a repeat of Korea’s own “royal tomb view apartment” controversy in Gimpo, where high-rise buildings near the Jangneung royal tomb, another World Heritage site, were criticized for obstructing the view of the ancient burial mounds.

The KHS said it will review Seoul’s redevelopment plan, discuss the issue with UNESCO and the Cultural Heritage Committee, and continue consultations with the city government to determine a response.