Hotel plans include hanok town

Hotel Shilla’s long-planned project to build a hanok-style hotel near a historic site in Seoul has been given the green light and it is expected to break ground as early as March, according to the relevant authorities contacted Friday.

The central Jung District announced that it recently permitted the construction project. Shilla, a luxury hotel chain affiliated with Samsung Group, has yet to receive approval from the Seoul Metropolitan Government regarding safety issues and a tour business license, but the remaining administrative procedures are seen as a formality set to be completed within a few weeks.

Chances are high that it will be able to kick off the construction of the hotel - envisioned in the style of hanok, or a traditional Korean-style home - next month.

Shilla plans to build it close to an ancient fortress trail on the foot of Mount Namsan as part of its project to create a hanok town there by 2025. It already has a five-star hotel, the Shilla Seoul, in the area.

Shilla formally floated the idea in 2011, but made little progress due to concerns over preserving historic heritage and the environment.

Yonhap