Seoul city, heritage agency hold first preliminary talks over high-rise project near Jongmyo

Korea's heritage authorities and the Seoul metropolitan government have held their first round of preliminary talks to address a growing dispute over a controversial high-rise redevelopment project planned near Jongmyo Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Director-general-level officials from the Korea Heritage Service (KHS), the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the city government met last Friday to discuss "practical matters" in preparation for coordination talks between central and local authorities, KHS Administrator Huh Min told reporters Wednesday. He added that no agreement has yet been reached on whether a heritage impact assessment should be carried out for the city-led project. Huh said another round of preliminary talks will be held before a full coordination session is convened, which could involve Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon. Friday's talks come after public controversy erupted last month over Seoul's plan to redevelop Sewoon District 4, located directly across from Jongmyo, the Confucian royal shrine that houses the memorial tableWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times