The controversy over urban development near Jongmyo Shrine has become one of the most troubling cultural debates in Korea today. The damage is affecting Korea’s international reputation at a moment when the world is paying close attention to our cultural heritage.

After the successful APEC Summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, where Korea presented itself as a nation that cherishes traditional culture, such a sudden regression in Seoul’s approach to heritage conservation is both baffling and self-inflicted. Korea’s traditional culture is understood globally as the very foundation of Hallyu. At a time when cultural prestige has become a pillar of national strength, it is precisely common sense that we must return to.

To understand the dispute, we must review how the issue unfolded. Jongmyo is not an ordinary monument; it is the Joseon royal ancestral shrine where the spirit tablets of kings and queens were enshrined for over five centuries.

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