Hotel Shilla Considers Resuming 'Hanok Hotel' Business Within This Year

'Construction Resumption in October' Response Submitted
Hotel Shilla "Not Confirmed"

It has been confirmed that Hotel Shilla submitted a response letter to Jung-gu Office in Seoul last May, stating that it plans to resume construction of the Hanok Hotel, a long-cherished project of President Lee Boo-jin, next month.

According to industry sources on the 13th, Hotel Shilla submitted a response letter during the inspection process of long-unused approved buildings by Jung-gu Office, indicating its intention to "resume construction of the Hanok Hotel in October."

Under the Building Act, if construction does not commence within two years from the date of approval, or if construction has started within the period but is deemed impossible to complete, the approval may be revoked.

Seoul Shilla Hotel
Photo by Seoul Shilla Hotel

Building a Hanok Hotel with 43 rooms, consisting of three underground floors and two above-ground floors near the Shilla Hotel in Seoul, is a long-cherished project of President Lee Boo-jin.

The project plan was first submitted to the Seoul Metropolitan Government in 2011 but failed to progress due to concerns over cultural heritage preservation and damage to the natural landscape.

After multiple revisions to the project plan, construction approval was obtained and construction began in 2020; however, a large number of relics (yugu, traces that provide clues to the structure and style of ancient civil engineering and architecture) were discovered on the site, prompting a cultural heritage investigation. Subsequently, construction was halted due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

Hotel Shilla maintains that the timing for resuming construction of the Hanok Hotel remains uncertain. A Hotel Shilla official stated, "Nothing has been finalized," adding, "It may not be possible to resume within this year."

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