Residents move into controversial high-rises near UNESCO-listed royal tombs

Newly built high-rise apartments are seen in Geomdan, a new town in Incheon, near the Jangneung royal tombs, Tuesday. (Yonhap)

Despite an ongoing lawsuit, residents of apartments near the UNESCO-listed Jangneung royal tombs in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, began moving into their new homes on Tuesday.

The Seo-gu Incheon Metropolitan City Office on Monday approved Daekwang Construction’s high-rises for occupancy. Some 735 households are expected to move in.

“We have given permits according to procedures and on-site inspections of Daekwang Construction’s apartments,” an official from the Incheon city office told The Korea Herald on Tuesday. “Some are moving in today for sure, but we cannot confirm how many (households).”

Meanwhile, the Incheon Seo-gu Police Station on Tuesday decided to turn over the heads of three construction companies -- Daebang Construction, Daekwang Construction and Kumsung BaekJoe Construction -- to the prosecution on charges of violating the Cultural Heritage Protection Act. This was in response to the Cultural Heritage Administration’s filing of complaints against the three companies with police in September last year.

In addition, police will refer four additional suspects, including an employee at one of the three companies, for attempting to destroy evidence during the police investigation. 

A view of Gyeyangsan is partially blocked by new apartments in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, as seen from the Jangneung royal tombs last December. (Kim Hae-yeon/The Korea Herald)

The CHA harshly criticized the Seo-gu Incheon Metropolitan City Office for not communicating with the agency and failing to fulfill its duties as a public entity.

“This issue was slated to be discussed at an international level and we were preparing for it. It was to have been discussed at the World Heritage Committee meeting at the end of June, but the meeting has been delayed due to the war (in Ukraine),” a CHA official said. 

The agency will put now focus its efforts on its lawsuit for now with the goal of maintaining the World Heritage status of Jangneung, the official added.

By Kim Hae-yeon (hykim@heraldcorp.com)

By Kim Hae-yeon(hykim@heraldcorp.com)