Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has proposed to Prime Minister Kim Min-seok that a public debate take place regarding the capital city’s redevelopment plans near the UNESCO-listed Jongmyo Shrine.

In a social media post on Monday, Oh said it was "regrettable" that the government had criticized the city's plan.

Oh’s remarks follow the prime minister's statement, during a visit to the Jongmyo Shrine earlier the same day, that he would review the validity of Seoul's redevelopment plan.

The mayor argued that the redevelopment will enhance the ecological and cultural value of the Jongmyo Shrine by creating new green corridors from Namsan to the site.

He dismissed claims that high-rise buildings will block the shrine, calling them distorted political narratives. 

The revised plan raises the maximum building height in Sewoon Zone 4 to 101 meters along Jongno and 145 meters along Cheonggye Stream—a key point of contention between the city and heritage authorities.