Jongno District Mayor-Elect Demands Halt to Sewoon District 4 Redevelopment Approval Near Jongmyo Shrine

The Sewoon District 4 redevelopment project, which was awaiting final approval from the Jongno District Office, has hit a roadblock following the change in district leadership.

According to the transition committee for the Jongno District Mayor on Tuesday (June 16), Mayor-elect Yoo Chan-jong of the Democratic Party of Korea recently instructed the Urban Development Division, which is in charge of approving the Sewoon District 4 project, to halt all related procedures.

A transition committee official explained, "The mayor-elect believes that because the positions of the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the central government are sharply divided, a cautious approach is necessary," adding, "He conveyed his opinion to the relevant department not to make any hasty decisions in June before he takes office."

According to the official, the mayor-elect took a firm stance, stating that if the Sewoon District 4 project is approved before his term begins, he may consider audits and holding the responsible public officials accountable.

Policy changes regarding the Sewoon District 4 redevelopment project were anticipated after incumbent District Mayor Chung Moon-hun of the People Power Party lost in the recent local elections.

Although Sewoon District 4 is a severely dilapidated area, redevelopment had been stagnant due to a lack of economic viability. The Seoul Metropolitan Government paved the way for the project by significantly relaxing height restrictions—from 55m to 98.7m along the Jongno side, and from 71.9m to 141.9m along the Cheonggyecheon Stream side.

However, the Korea Heritage Service has opposed the project, arguing that the high-rise buildings planned for the site could damage the view from Jongmyo Shrine and demanding that a World Heritage Impact Assessment be conducted first.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government maintains that because the Sewoon District 4 site is located approximately 180 meters away from the boundary of Jongmyo Shrine, it does not fall within the 100-meter radius designated as a historical and cultural environment preservation area under city ordinances, and therefore does not require an impact assessment.

Furthermore, the city is concerned that if an impact assessment is required, the project will face significant delays and lose momentum.

In response, the Seoul Metropolitan Government held a final deliberation on the building safety impact assessment on the 5th of this month and approved the building safety impact assessment for the Sewoon District 4 urban renewal redevelopment project. The only remaining administrative step is the approval of the change to the project implementation plan by the Jongno District Office.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.