By I don’t think building this skyscraper would be worth Seoul losing UNESCO status on one of their ancient landmarks, but as well all know money talks in Korea and thus this skyscraper will more then likely be built:
Seoul City’s plan to build a skyscraper near a Joseon-era relic, designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site, faces strong opposition from a group of historians.
The central government is planning an inspection to see whether the building project is historically insensitive enough to have the relic taken off the UNESCO list of treasures.
The metropolitan government is pushing for a plan to allow the construction of a 36-story, 122-meter-tall building in front of Jongmyo, the royal ancestral shrine of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910).
The new structure, if built, would be located in Yeji-dong, Jongno-gu district, and block a direct view of the old relic. City Hall received approval for construction in March.
However, the Cultural Heritage Policy Research Institute (CHPRI), a private research center on the preservation of historic relics, opposes the plan.
It contended the building will show Korea’s lack of historic sensitivity and may see UNESCO reconsider its designation as a home to some of the world’s important historic remnants. [Korea Times]
You can learn more about Jongmyo here.
It is the sad reality. No mistake...
1:02 pm on September 4th, 2009 1
That is one of the most important historical sites from the Chosun Dynasty…I can't believe they are asking to take it off the world heritage list to build another skyscraper…That is where the ancestral tablets of the ruling family were kept and honored.
Anyway, this article also reminded me of the trouble the US Embassy had in trying to relocate itself off a plot of land Korean society has used as part of its anti-US thinking — because the location is connected to the Japanese colonial period.
But, when it came time to move the embassy, move it to a plot of land the Korean government had selected and the embassy had already purchased, this same anti-US culture and its usual groups blocked it. They blocked it because it had a foot path connected to one of the old palace grounds.
…And there was a city ordinance that said a building over X stories high couldn't be built within X hundred yards of such a historical site, and the proposed US Embassy residence building would exceed X.
And that project did die. (But, oddly enough, Russia and Canada (I believe it was) were able to complete their new embassy-related buildings in the same are with no problem…
2:49 pm on September 4th, 2009 2
jongny is kind of a dump. Also, except for a few rocks here and there, it was built around 1972. Its pretty funny to see people get wood over a dumpy building built in 72. Its all dirty and boring.
3:17 pm on September 4th, 2009 3
This is not uncommon, I remember a while back how the South Korean Government likes to tear down old, historical buildings and sites in order to build new, modern buildings at it's location.
I thought it was dumb to tear down a part of history, a part of your culture and a part of who you are.
But this seems to be a more important site, since it's a UNESCO Heritage site. but what can you do, if the Korean govt doesn't care about their culture and history, who would?
12:24 am on September 5th, 2009 4
China has the same lack of responsibility with some of their sites. Largest open air market? gone
Cultural sites? flooded by dam project
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