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Seoul mayor claps back at prime minister's criticism of Jongmyo Shine development

Published: 11 Nov. 2025, 14:20 Updated: 15 Nov. 2025, 12:38

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon speaks during a groundbreaking event for the second Sejong Center for the Performing Arts at a venue in Jongno District, central Seoul on Nov. 10. [YONHAP]

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Kim Min-seok of stoking public emotion and inciting outrage over Oh’s own push for a redevelopment project near the Jongmyo Shrine.

“Buildings of 100 or 150 stories would be constructed about 500 meters [1,640 feet] away from Jongmyo, and yet the prime minister described it as suffocating, overwhelming and distressing to the eyes,” Oh said during an interview with CBS Radio’s “Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show.” “Instead of using emotional expressions, Kim Min-seok should be speaking from a scientific perspective.”

Oh also dismissed Kim’s comments from Monday, when the prime minister said, “People must have felt insulted watching Kim Keon Hee freely come and go at Jongmyo.”

“What does this have to do with Kim Keon Hee?” Oh responded. “This is nothing more than an attempt to inflame public sentiment — it’s agitation.”

“The Supreme Court already ruled that the concerns were excessive and unnecessary, but now the prime minister himself is stepping in, essentially saying the court is wrong and that they’ll change the law to block the construction,” Oh said.

He further criticized Kim Min-seok’s recent site visits, suggesting the prime minister should instead focus on addressing the confusion caused by the government’s Oct. 15 real estate measures.

“As far as I can recall, he hasn’t visited any of those areas,” said Oh.

As for why the Jongmyo redevelopment controversy has suddenly become politically charged, Oh suggested it may be tied to next year’s local elections.

“I have my suspicions,” he said. “The hostile attitude toward Seoul policies began about two months ago. Over the past month or two, they’ve criticized and attacked every single policy — and now they’re launching a task force? Let’s see how that goes.”

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 KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]