Cultural Heritage Administration files police report over unpermitted drilling in Sewoon 4 District
The Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea has lodged a police report against the Seoul Housing and Urban Development Corporation (SH) for conducting 11 drilling sites within the Sewoon 4 District redevelopment area in Jongno, Seoul, without the agency’s prior permission. The drilling altered the condition of cultural heritage remains that are being preserved and studied at the site.
Under Korea’s Cultural Heritage Protection and Investigation Act, it is illegal to change the current state of any identified or excavating cultural heritage without authorization. Penalties can include up to 10 years in prison or a fine of up to 100 million won. The administration said the Sewoon 4 District site remains a legally recognized heritage locale under excavation, making SH’s actions unlawful.
The site has yielded significant Joseon-era remnants, including a former road network, building foundations, and drainage structures. Archaeologists view these remains as high-value relics, with notable finds such as a gate remnant at the village entrance known as Imun (里門) and a pit containing cow bones, indicators of historical settlement patterns and daily life.
SH's preservation plan for the Sewoon 4 District was discussed at the Culture Heritage Committee in 2024 and was deemed to require further supplementation before it could proceed. The plan has not yet received final approval, reflecting ongoing questions about how redevelopment should proceed around a site with substantial archaeological value.
A site inspection by the Cultural Heritage Administration on the 13th led to an immediate halt of the drilling activities and the removal of heavy machinery from the area. The administration said it will monitor the site and enforce compliance with preservation requirements.
The case has drawn international attention from UNESCO. On the 14th, the World Heritage Centre warned that continuing with the Sewoon development could jeopardize Jongmyo’s World Heritage status. It suggested that, if the developer does not provide timely assurances on impact assessment, Jongmyo could be placed on UNESCO’s in-danger list or subjected to on-site evaluation by committee members at the upcoming 48th World Heritage Committee meeting in Busan.
The dispute intensified after Seoul City moved to ease building-height restrictions in the Sewoon 4 District to accelerate redevelopment. Jongmyo, Korea’s royal shrine and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1995, carries symbolic and cultural significance that extends beyond Seoul to international audiences and cultural markets.
City and national authorities have held preliminary talks about World Heritage impact assessments and the formation of a joint advisory body, but they have not reached consensus. For U.S. readers, the case underscores how rapid urban renewal ambitions in major markets can intersect with global heritage protections, tourism dynamics, supply chains for cultural projects and international policy conversations on preserving historic sites amid development.