Outgoing Jongno District Chief Approves Seun 4 Redevelopment Plan Near Jongmyo Shrine

Seoul's Jongno District Office has approved a controversial revision to the development plan for the Seun 4 district, permitting the construction of commercial and business facilities up to 35 stories high directly across from the UNESCO World Heritage site, Jongmyo Shrine. The decision, processed by outgoing District Chief Jeong Mun-heon just two weeks before his term ends, has ignited debate.

The revised plan significantly increases building height from the previous maximum of 71.9 meters to 142 meters and raises the floor area ratio from 700% to 1094%. The Seoul Metropolitan Government had previously given conditional approval for the building safety impact assessment on June 5, concluding its review.

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Jongno District notified us this afternoon that it had granted the business plan change approval.

However, the approval faces strong opposition. The Cultural Heritage Administration had issued an administrative order to halt all permit processing until a world heritage impact assessment could be completed, raising questions about the legality of the district office's decision. Yoo Chan-jong, the mayor-elect of Jongno from the Democratic Party, has called for a suspension of the permit process until he takes office, stating he will thoroughly review the approval procedures upon inauguration.

While the revised permit has not yet been officially gazetted or published, meaning it lacks legal effect, the next step for the Seun 4 district development would be a review by the State Heritage Committee regarding buried heritage. The Cultural Heritage Administration maintains that it can revoke the permit or demand its withdrawal if it finds the approval to be in violation of laws, according to the Local Autonomy Act.

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I have never heard of a district chief personally drafting and approving a plan when the relevant department head is absent.