Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon criticizes National Heritage Administration

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has launched a sharp critique against the National Heritage Administration (NHA), accusing the agency of obstructing the Sewoon District 4 redevelopment project. Oh stated that the NHA is the “biggest enemy of national heritage,” claiming the agency is using the protection of the Jongmyo World Heritage site as a pretext to indefinitely stall urban development.

According to Oh, the NHA has repeatedly delayed reviews of buried heritage sites between August and October this year, frequently changing its criteria and requirements without clear legal grounds. He argued that the agency is imposing a “World Heritage Impact Assessment” that lacks legal obligation and is demanding the cancellation of permits despite the project area being outside the official World Heritage zone.

The Mayor warned that such administrative actions are causing significant hardship for residents, who have already filed a 25 billion won damages lawsuit against the state. He cautioned that continued “unfounded administrative power trips” could trigger widespread public backlash against UNESCO-related regulations, a phenomenon he referred to as “UNESCOcide.”

The NHA responded by stating that its impact assessments are intended to seek a rational coexistence between heritage preservation and development, rather than acting as a tool to block progress.