Seun 4 Redevelopment Halted Again Over Artifact Preservation Review

The redevelopment of Seoul's Seun 4 district faces another setback as a review of how to preserve historical artifacts found at the site has been postponed. This marks the second delay since January 2024, extending the pause for 2 years and 7 months.

The National Heritage Agency announced on August 20 that its committee for buried cultural heritage postponed a decision on the preservation plan for artifacts at the Seun 4 redevelopment site. The agency stated that a re-evaluation is necessary after the business plan is finalized.

This is not the first time the project has been delayed. In January 2024, the cultural heritage committee also postponed the review, requesting a more detailed preservation plan. Despite the Seoul Housing & Communities Corporation (SH) submitting supplementary materials, the outcome remains the same.

The redevelopment project has been controversial due to concerns that it could damage the scenic views of Jongmyo Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The proposed changes include significantly increasing building heights along Cheonggyecheon Stream and Jongno, raising them from 71.8m to 141.9m and from 54.3m to 98.7m, respectively, and increasing the maximum number of floors from 20 to 38.

The National Heritage Agency previously deemed the approval of permits before completing a World Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) as illegal. The agency requested corrective action against the Jongno district office on June 26. When the Seoul Metropolitan Government refused, the Heritage Agency initiated procedures to request the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to revoke the amended business plan approval.

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We plan to proceed according to procedures after internal review.