UNESCO has issued a formal warning that Jongmyo Shrine, a historic royal ancestral site in Seoul listed as a World Heritage Site, could potentially be added to the List of World Heritage in Danger due to controversial development plans in the surrounding area. The United Nations heritage body has expressed serious concerns about a construction project near the shrine, specifically regarding the Seoul city government's decision to lift height restrictions in Sewoon District 4, located approximately 180 meters from the heritage site.
Following a recent Supreme Court ruling that approved the city government's plan to remove the height limit in the district, UNESCO has initiated formal monitoring procedures and requested comprehensive information from Korean authorities. A UNESCO spokesperson confirmed that the organization has formally requested detailed information from Korean authorities for review by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies of the World Heritage Committee. The information will also be examined for possible assessment of the site's conservation status at the upcoming World Heritage Committee session scheduled for July 2026.
UNESCO emphasized that any future development projects near the shrine must undergo rigorous heritage impact assessments to evaluate potential effects on the features that justified the site's inclusion on the World Heritage List. The organization warned that if these assessments reveal potential danger to the key characteristics of the site, the World Heritage Committee could consider placing Jongmyo Shrine on the List of World Heritage in Danger. Under the World Heritage Convention, the UN agency has the authority to revoke World Heritage status entirely if a site no longer meets the original criteria for inscription.
A notable precedent for such action occurred in Germany, where Dresden Elbe Valley lost its World Heritage status in 2009 due to the construction of a bridge in the heart of the cultural landscape. This example demonstrates UNESCO's willingness to take decisive action when development projects are deemed to compromise the integrity of World Heritage Sites.
The UNESCO warning comes amid escalating tensions between the Seoul city government and the central administration under President Lee Jae Myung. Prime Minister Kim Min-seok has publicly criticized the development plan and announced his intention to strengthen relevant laws and regulations to better protect cultural heritage sites in their current form. The political friction highlights the broader debate over balancing urban development with heritage preservation.
In response to the growing controversy, the Korea Heritage Service designated a large area surrounding Jongmyo Shrine as a World Heritage District on Thursday, officially acknowledging the need for enhanced protection due to the site's historical significance. This designation came alongside calls from liberal politicians for additional assessments before any construction work begins. However, the Seoul city government has dismissed this move, arguing that it is not legally required to conduct further assessments for the development project to proceed.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has criticized the Korea Heritage Service for its handling of the situation, pointing out significant administrative shortcomings. The city government noted that although designating an area as a World Heritage District is a prerequisite for conducting World Heritage impact assessments, the heritage agency had repeatedly called for such assessments without first undertaking the necessary designation. Furthermore, the city highlighted that despite UNESCO World Heritage inscription requiring both a heritage zone and a buffer zone, Jongmyo Shrine's buffer zone remains undefined even 30 years after its initial inscription.
Mayor Oh Se-hoon has defended the construction project, asserting that it will not harm the heritage site's value and will actually enhance its prominence as a dignified landmark. In a social media post on Sunday, Mayor Oh explained that the Sewoon District project is not merely a redevelopment scheme for constructing high-rise buildings. Instead, he described the plan as envisioning the establishment of a vast green corridor stretching from Jongmyo Shrine to Toegye-ro, creating a vibrant work-live-play environment through development that carefully integrates green spaces with tall buildings on either side.
The mayor emphasized that simulations have already confirmed that even with increased building heights on either side of Jongmyo Shrine, the visual corridor remains unobstructed and the surrounding landscape is preserved. Mayor Oh promised to release detailed results of these simulations soon to support the city's position that the development can proceed without compromising the heritage site's integrity or value.
