Jongmyo Shrine designated as World Heritage district
Published: 14 Nov. 2025, 11:25
![Jongmyo’s Jeongjeon Hall is seen from the front on Nov. 13. [KIM JUNG-HUN]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/14/4e876525-5d94-4ec6-b173-3ca3fc252d1b.jpg)
Jongmyo’s Jeongjeon Hall is seen from the front on Nov. 13. [KIM JUNG-HUN]
Jongmyo Shrine, a Unesco World Heritage site, will become the first officially designated World Heritage “district” under Korea’s Special Act on Conservation, Management and Utilization of World Heritage.
The Korea Heritage Service said it will use the designation to strongly press the Seoul city government to conduct a World Heritage Impact Assessment, which is a formal review used to determine whether construction or urban planning projects may harm the cultural significance of a World Heritage property.
The cultural heritage committee’s World Heritage subcommittee on Thursday approved the designation of the Jongmyo World Heritage district as originally proposed when the draft was publicly announced a year ago, according to the service.
The designated area covers about 194,000 square meters (48 acres), the same as the site protected under its historic site status.
The review took place amid ongoing controversy over Seoul’s decision to raise the maximum building height in Sewoon District 4 — a redevelopment zone located across the street from Jongmyo — to 145 meters (475.7 feet).
In October 2024, the service announced plans to designate 11 World Heritage sites, including Jongmyo, Changdeok Palace, the Gyeongju Historic Areas and Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes, as World Heritage districts under the act. Jongmyo is the first of these to receive approval.
![Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young delivers remarks at the lower terrace in front of the main hall of Jongmyo Shrine in central Seoul on the afternoon of Nov. 7, addressing a Supreme Court ruling on development near the site. At left is Korea Heritage Service Administrator Huh Min. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/14/45ec858e-2dc5-4fa4-8d5d-dcffd370e347.jpg)
Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young delivers remarks at the lower terrace in front of the main hall of Jongmyo Shrine in central Seoul on the afternoon of Nov. 7, addressing a Supreme Court ruling on development near the site. At left is Korea Heritage Service Administrator Huh Min. [NEWS1]
“The Special Act on Conservation, Management and Utilization of World Heritage stipulates that once Jongmyo is designated as a World Heritage district, the spatial scope for conducting a World Heritage impact assessment is established,” the service said Thursday.
“This allows the Korea Heritage Service administrator to request such an assessment for any development project that may affect Jongmyo.”
The service said it aims to complete all administrative procedures for the designation within December and will strongly urge the Seoul city government to carry out a World Heritage Impact Assessment as required by the act.
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 KANG HYE-RAN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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