'800-Year-Old Natural Monument' Incheon Jangsu-dong Ginkgo Tree... Establishing Standards for Surrounding Construction Activities

Jangsu-dong Ginkgo Tree
[Photo provided by Namdong-gu, Incheon]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Standards for permitting construction activities in the area surrounding the ginkgo tree in Jangsu-dong, Incheon, designated as a Natural Monument, will be established.

Namdong-gu, Incheon, announced on the 13th that it will hold a residents' briefing session on the draft standards for permitting construction activities at the Jangsu Seochang-dong Administrative Welfare Center on the 15th.

Until now, construction activities in the area surrounding the ginkgo tree in Jangsu-dong have been prohibited to protect cultural heritage, leading to continuous complaints from landowners and nearby residents due to illegal activities.

However, earlier this year, the Jangsu-dong ginkgo tree was designated as Natural Monument No. 562, enabling the establishment of clear standards for permitting construction activities in accordance with Article 13 of the Cultural Heritage Protection Act and Article 2-2 of the Enforcement Rules of the same Act.

The relevant regulations allow for the preparation of prior permitting standards for construction work in cultural heritage preservation areas, considering local conditions, to enhance administrative predictability and transparency.

According to the draft standards, the area designated as the cultural heritage zone around the Jangsu-dong ginkgo tree has been expanded from the existing 674.7㎡ to 5,386㎡ following its designation as a Natural Monument, and the area is divided into two zones with separate permitting standards.

Within a 100m radius adjacent to the ginkgo tree (Zone 1), construction activities are permitted upon individual review, while within a 500m radius (Zone 2), activities are handled according to relevant laws such as the local government’s urban planning ordinances.

Construction work within the permitting standards will be processed in consultation with the relevant departments of Namdong-gu, and construction exceeding the standards will proceed after review by the Cultural Heritage Committee of the Cultural Heritage Administration.

The district has been displaying the draft permitting standards on its website since the end of last month, and plans to submit the final draft to the Cultural Heritage Administration through this residents' briefing session. The permitting standards for construction activities will be officially announced next month after on-site investigation and review by the Cultural Heritage Committee of the Cultural Heritage Administration.

The Jangsu-dong ginkgo tree, over 800 years old, stands 28.2 meters tall with a circumference of 9.1 meters. In February, the Cultural Heritage Administration upgraded the Jangsu-dong ginkgo tree, previously designated as Incheon City Monument No. 12, to Nationally Designated Cultural Heritage Natural Monument No. 562.

Lee Kang-ho, Mayor of Namdong-gu, stated, "This will establish clear grounds for construction activities around the Jangsu-dong ginkgo tree and serve as an opportunity to eradicate widespread illegal activities. We will continue to strive to protect and manage cultural heritage, which is a valuable resource for the region."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.