Sewoon District 4 Residents Demand Withdrawal of World Heritage Impact Review as Approval Nears

The residents’ representative council for Sewoon District 4 in Jongno, Seoul, held a press conference on the morning of May 14 in front of Sewoon Plaza, across from Jongmyo, calling for the withdrawal of the Cultural Heritage Administration’s demand for a World Heritage Impact Assessment. Residents argued the area is outside the World Heritage protection zone and has no legal obligation to undergo the assessment. The project received Seoul’s revised redevelopment promotion plan notice in October last year and passed integrated review by Seoul and Jongno District in March, leaving only approval for a changed implementation plan. Redevelopment began in 2004 but has stalled for more than 20 years. The council said cumulative project costs are about 800 billion won and monthly interest exceeds 2 billion won. Source: hankyung.com