A Supreme Court ruling on Nov. 6 has thrust Jongmyo, the stately Confucian royal shrine in central Seoul, into the heart of a debate over heritage preservation and development.
The court ruled in favor of a city ordinance to relax height restrictions near Jongmyo as part of a redevelopment plan for the area around Sewoon Sangga.
바다이야기디시 The ruling prompted a strong response from the Korea Heritage Service, the central government agency in charge of heritage preservation. Jongmyo became one of the first UNESCO World Heritage Sites in
메이저릴게임사이트 South Korea in 1995.
Since the controversy broke out, Huh Min, head of the KHS, and Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young condemned the plans at a press conference in front of Jongmyo. Later, Prim
골드몽 e Minister Kim Min-seok visited and raised objections to the plans. In response, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon argued that the plans will benefit Jongmyo by bringing people and investment to a neglected area
릴게임갓 of the city.
In their press conference, Huh and Chae said that they would ask the National Assembly to enact a special law to overrule the relaxed height restrictions. An important argument
온라인야마토게임 against relaxing the height limit is the possibility that UNESCO could remove Jongmyo’s World Heritage Designation, though, to date, UNESCO has yet to express an opinion. The controversy will continue for some time, but its conclusion will impact future proposals to build tall buildings near heritage sites.
At the heart of the question is how Seoul and South Korea view heritage preservation amid pressure for change through development. Many other advanced countries face similar debates, particularly in large cities like Seoul where development pressure is strongest.
The first step to resolving the question is to decide how broad heritage preservation in cities should be. Should it limit its focus to the site in question or include the surrounding cityscape? The orthodox approach in preservationist circles is to take the broad view and extend preservation efforts to the surrounding area to prevent potentially damaging encroachment from tall buildings and busy roads. The argument against the relaxed height limit near Jongmyo follows this logic.
To succeed, this approach must rely on regulating land use in surrounding areas, which often provokes a backlash from landowners who stand to profit from development. Landowners are voters and use that leverage to push politicians to favor development. This explains why supporters of the relaxed height limits near Jongmyo have taken to the street to make their views known. They want development because they will profit from it.
At its core, the debate reflects the age-old tension between public purpose and private profit. Preservationists see public purpose in preserving heritage for future generations, whereas landowners see private profit in development. This same conflict affects the entire range of public policy choices that move within a narrow range from one side to the other. Periods with a focus on public purpose tend to be “liberal,” while periods with a focus on private profit tend to be “conservative.”
Sharp conflicts between public purpose and private profit are best settled by strong public consensus. Relying solely on laws and courts risks leaving the losing side bitter and eager to revive the battle when the political winds change. A strong public consensus, on the other hand, settles the matter as history.
In the case of Jongmyo, the best solution would be for the government to buy the area slated for redevelopment and turn it into a space for public purposes. The most obvious idea is a park full of greenery that connects Jongmyo with Namsan. Among major cities in the world, Seoul is famous for its mountains, but it lacks flat green parks in the middle of the city. Almost all green areas in central Seoul are cultural heritage sites that cannot be used for recreation. Such a park would also enhance Cheonggyecheon, creating a cross of green spaces near Jongmyo.
The park could include several public facilities that do not overwhelm it. A learning center, for example, could include spaces for universities and other institutions to offer lifelong learning classes in the center of the city. Part of the park could have market spaces for makers, artists and other creatives.
This vision requires money, of course, but all good things for public purpose do. It’s a worthy investment in the quality of life that honors the heritage of Jongmyo.
Robert J. Fouser
Robert J. Fouser, a former associate professor of Korean language education at Seoul National University, writes on Korea from Providence, Rhode Island. He can be reached at robertjfouser@gmail.com. The views expressed here are the writer’s own. -- Ed. 기자 admin@reelnara.info
