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DP to investigate Oh Se-hoon over 'historic destruction' of Jongmyo Shrine

Published: 10 Nov. 2025, 20:05

Democratic Party Rep. Jeon Hyun-heui speaks during a party meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul on Nov. 10. [YONHAP]

The Democratic Party (DP) on Monday formed a task force to investigate what it describes as policy failures and personal misconduct by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon.

DP senior spokesperson Park Soo-hyun told reporters after a party supreme council meeting on Monday that the party has launched a task force and appointed Rep. Cheon Jun-ho as its head.

Within the DP, criticism has mounted over Oh’s redevelopment project in Sewoon District 4, located across from Jongmyo Shrine in central Seoul.

“The plan to allow a high-rise building in front of Jongmyo is a case of historic destruction disguised as development,” said DP Supreme Council member Jeon Hyun-heui. “It undermines the dignity of Seoul, a city steeped in the 500-year legacy of the Joseon Dynasty [1392-1910].”

“Both the culture minister and the head of the Korea Heritage Service have expressed concerns that the value of Jongmyo Shrine could be compromised, potentially jeopardizing its status as a Unesco World Heritage site,” said Jeon. “The cases of Dresden’s Elbe Valley in Germany and Liverpool’s Maritime Mercantile City in Britain, which were delisted due to overdevelopment, exist as precedents.”

“What Oh should do is to reveal to the public the truth about the suspicion that [self-proclaimed political broker] Myung Tae-kyun paid for public opinion polls and make him pay the price,” continued Jeon. “He should not oppose history or the people of Seoul, and must reconsider the plan for a high-rise building in front of Jongmyo.”

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon visits a site in Seongbuk District, northern Seoul slated for redevelopment on Nov. 6. [NEWS1]

Supreme council member Hwang Myeong-seon also denounced the development plan, calling it “a crude ploy to spark a frenzy of redevelopment across Seoul to score votes in next year’s election.”

Hwang vowed that “the DP will hold Oh accountable for damaging Seoul in the upcoming election.”

Separately, the DP also announced on Monday that it has formed a special committee to investigate allegations that state-owned assets were sold below market value under the previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration. Rep. Park Beom-kye has been appointed chair of the committee.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JUNG SI-NAE [[email protected]]