Heritage experts in South Korea urged the Seoul city government on Monday to conduct a Heritage Impact Assessment for a contentious redevelopment project near Jongmyo Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Korean National Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (Icomos Korea) proposed a joint review involving the Seoul metropolitan government, the Korea Heritage Service (KHS), and independent experts to assess impacts and explore alternatives. The call highlights tensions between local and central authorities over the project's threat to the site's historical integrity.
On November 24, the Korean National Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (Icomos Korea) issued a statement urging a Heritage Impact Assessment for Seoul's Sewun District 4 redevelopment project, located directly across from Jongmyo Shrine. Last month, the Seoul city government approved raising the building height limit to 145 meters—more than double the previous cap.
The decision has sparked a standoff between local and central authorities. The central government argues that ultra-high-rise buildings would diminish the shrine's historical landscape, while the city contends the project would enhance the surroundings through a broad green space without harming the view. Jongmyo Shrine, housing ancestral tablets of the Joseon Dynasty's royal family (1392–1910), was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995.
In a statement adopted after a Sunday board meeting, Icomos Korea said: "The state party, namely the Korea Heritage Service, should officially notify the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and conduct an impact assessment with the participation of the Seoul city, the KHS and experts." The committee described a joint assessment and formal international consultation as "the most effective solution" to the dispute, marking its first official position on the issue.
It portrayed the process as a "balanced process grounded in scientific evidence, international standards, urban development goals, and community needs," stressing that the assessment is not intended to halt development but to serve as an international standard for rational decision-making. "What matters now is not who is right, but the proper activation of international procedures," it underlined.
Icomos, a UNESCO advisory body, evaluates World Heritage nominations and monitors conservation worldwide, with about 10,000 experts across more than 130 countries. Icomos Korea, established in 1999, advises on cultural heritage preservation and management in the country.