The Seoul Metropolitan Government pushed back squarely against criticism from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Heritage Service over the recently disputed redevelopment of Sewoon District 4.
Oh Se-hoon, the Seoul mayor, held an on-site briefing at the rooftop garden of Sewoon Shopping Center on the afternoon of Feb. 7 and said, "The Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) and the head of the Korea Heritage Service are seriously distorting the city's Sewoon green axis project," adding, "The claim that the city's project damages the value of Jongmyo is an excessively exaggerated concern."
Oh said, "The Seoul city's Sewoon redevelopment does not damage the value of Jongmyo, but rather makes that value stand out even more," adding, "By creating a green axis connecting from Namsan to Jongno, we will enhance ecological access to Jongmyo and raise its historical and cultural heritage value."
He said, "Seoul has already completed a historic restoration project by connecting the previously severed Changgyeonggung and Jongmyo with green space through the Yulgok-ro restoration project over the past 20 years," emphasizing, "To enhance cultural heritage value, Seoul completed the restoration of the Hanyang City Wall, the Naksan restoration in the Dongdaemun area, the restoration of the patrol path along the Jongmyo wall, the Woldae restoration at Gyeongbokgung, and the demolition of the gas station in front of Changdeokgung."
He continued, "Despite being the center of Seoul, the area around Jongmyo, including the Sewoon district, has long been dilapidated and neglected, in a state little different from ruins," adding, "Anyone who has ever looked down on the shanty roof structures around Sewoon Shopping Center, which evoke the 1960s and are on the verge of collapse, laments whether this is truly the face of the capital Seoul and whether it suits the cultural heritage of Jongmyo. It is time to seek new changes that preserve and further elevate the value of Jongmyo, while allowing history and the future to coexist."
Oh added, "While procuring the budget for creating the green axis through an integrated development approach around the Sewoon area, this is an opportunity to create a large green park centered on Jongmyo and reorganize the structure of the urban space."
Oh, referring to the critical position released the same day by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) and the Korea Heritage Service, said, "The two agencies mixed provocative terms without concrete grounds to say the city's project will damage Jongmyo," adding, "If we continue discussions through in-depth dialogue, we can fully reconcile the conflicting values of innovating urban spatial structure and respecting cultural heritage."
He went on, "I cannot help but express strong regret at the sight of the head of the ministry in charge of culture and sports unilaterally belittling a local government's project, as if reading a civic group's statement, without any inquiry or consultation with Seoul," adding, "I hope we can gather citizens' valuable opinions and, with a sincere and mature attitude, discuss together what approach both elevates historical value and fully opens the door to the future."
He also said, "I propose arranging a forum for dialogue as soon as possible," adding, "If discussions can take place early next week, I will meet, explain Seoul's plan, and arrange a venue to discuss how we can jointly pursue these coexisting values."