On the 18th, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon released a completion simulation photo of the redevelopment zone (Sewoon Zone 4) in front of Jongmyo, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and, aiming at Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, said, "The view of Jongmyo does not blind the eyes, choke the breath, or press down the spirit to this extent."
At a city administration Q&A during the Seoul Metropolitan Council plenary session that day, Oh said, "This is the view of an average-height Seoul resident standing on the Sangwoldae in front of the Jongmyo Jeongjeon, looking south toward the newly built Sewoon Zone 4." Oh said, "It is a height of less than 100 meters from the Jongno side and less than 150 meters from the Cheonggyecheon side," and asked in return, "When standing at the Jeongjeon, are the eyes blocked? Is the breath choked? Is the spirit pressed down?"
Earlier, on the 11th, after touring Jongmyo, Kim said, "If high-rise buildings are built right in front of Jongmyo, I am concerned that it might result in blinding the eyes of Jongmyo, choking the breath, and pressing down the spirit."
Oh released additional simulation photos, saying, "This is the completed look of a building already approved in Sewoon Zone 3," and emphasized that Sewoon Zone 4 would have a similar feel. He said, "I hope the focus of the discussion will be on whether this feel truly diminishes the value of Jongmyo and the architectural beauty and value of the Jeongjeon, or causes any impairment."
Regarding the dispute over Jongmyo becoming a political issue, Oh said, "UNESCO refrains from intervention when issues become politically contentious," and said, "The Korea Heritage Service will find it harder to get the desired result the more Sewoon Zone 4 is turned into a contentious issue."
Oh also reiterated that it is not subject to a Heritage Impact Assessment under domestic law. He said, "Even if the area around Jongmyo is designated as a buffer zone within the World Heritage area, it is highly likely to be 'within 100 meters,'" and said, "Sewoon Zone 4 is 180 meters away, so it is not an area that must undergo an impact assessment."
For these reasons, the city of Seoul's position is that the Sewoon district is not included in the historic and cultural environment preservation area. To minimize the visual impact on Jongmyo, the city expanded its angular elevation standard (27 degrees) to the Sewoon district. Under this standard, the Jongno side is up to 101.1 meters, and the Cheonggyecheon side is up to 149.4 meters. For Sewoon Zone 4, to reduce visual impact, the plan is 98.7 meters on the Jongno side and 141.9 meters on the Cheonggyecheon side.
Oh said, "The Sewoon area redevelopment project will create a vast green axis stretching from Jongmyo to Namsan, making the historical and cultural heritage value of Jongmyo stand out even more, and by enhancing ecological accessibility toward Jongmyo, it will change the breath of Seoul and rebirth the downtown," and said, "The changes in the Sewoon area, which raise the value of history while throwing open the door to the future, will be a signal flare announcing the heyday of northern Seoul."