SH Corporation Drills 38m Holes at Heritage Site... Cultural Heritage Administration Takes Strong Action with Criminal Complaint

Unauthorized Drilling Conducted at Seun District 4 Excavation Site Before Completion
Commissioner Heo Min: "Clear Violation of Current Law, Grave Concern"

The drilling scene captured at the site of store heritage excavation in Sewoon District 4

A national administrative agency has taken the unprecedented step of directly filing a criminal complaint with the police against a public corporation for unlawful civil engineering activities. This occurred because the developer leading a public project brought in heavy machinery and drilled dozens of deep holes without authorization at an urban heritage site where the excavation survey had not yet been completed.

On March 16, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced that it had uncovered on March 11 that Seoul Housing & Communities Corporation (SH Corporation) carried out drilling at eleven locations without the required permits, causing significant alteration to the remaining heritage area of Seun District 4. Upon recognizing the illegal conduct, the agency immediately conducted an on-site inspection and, on the morning of the same day, filed a complaint against SH Corporation with Hyehwa Police Station in Seoul, which has jurisdiction over the case.

Heo Min, Commissioner of the Cultural Heritage Administration, held a press briefing at the National Palace Museum on the afternoon of the 16th, stating, "We detected SH Corporation’s illegal activities within Seun District 4, where excavation has not been officially completed, and have taken legal action accordingly."

Jonghun Lee, Director of Historical Site Policy at the Cultural Heritage Administration, is explaining SH Corporation's illegal activities during a press briefing held on the afternoon of the 16th at the National Palace Museum.

The Seun District 4 Urban Environmental Improvement Project site is a key heritage location where excavation began in 2021. SH Corporation has not yet submitted a report of completion for the excavation survey, nor has the Commissioner of the Cultural Heritage Administration issued a notice of completion. Therefore, the site remains legally recognized as a 'remaining area of buried heritage.' Under current law, drilling within such an area requires prior review and approval from the authorities and must be conducted under the supervision of the investigating institution.

SH Corporation pressed ahead with civil engineering works in a surprise move. Over two days starting March 11, the company drilled eleven unauthorized holes, each 280 mm in diameter and 38 meters deep, right in the middle of the heritage site. No prior review procedures were followed, and there was no supervision by officials from the investigating institution. In this area, major cultural assets such as Joseon Dynasty east-west drainage canals and gates have previously been excavated.

Lee Jonghun, Director of the Historic Sites Policy Division at the Cultural Heritage Administration, pointed out, "In order to carry out drilling work, prior consultation with the Cultural Heritage Administration is required, and at a minimum, a representative from the excavation institution must be present." He further emphasized, "Currently, there is a heritage structure of 7.5 meters in size remaining intact, which means utmost caution should have been exercised for preservation." Commissioner Heo also criticized, "Unauthorized drilling as deep as 38 meters can have both direct and indirect disastrous impacts on underground heritage remains."

Officials from the Cultural Heritage Administration visiting the drilling site within the remaining area of the Sewoon District 4 store legacy.

On March 11, the Cultural Heritage Administration notified SH Corporation and the responsible local government, the city of Seoul, of the violations and verbally ordered an immediate halt to any further alterations. On March 12, an official letter was sent outlining the forthcoming criminal complaint, and on March 13, a large-scale on-site investigation was conducted together with officials from the excavation institution. Director Lee explained, "We confirmed clear grounds for violation at all eleven drilling points. We ordered a complete halt to all alteration activities and ensured the immediate withdrawal of the heavy machinery brought onto the site."

The Cultural Heritage Administration regards this incident as a serious violation of Article 31, Paragraph 2 of the Buried Cultural Heritage Protection Act. According to this clause, anyone who alters the condition of already identified or excavated buried heritage, or who violates an order to stop or suspend excavation, may be subject to imprisonment for up to ten years or a fine of up to 100 million won.

Commissioner Heo stated, "Conducting drilling for civil engineering works on land where the excavation survey has not been completed is a clear violation of current law," and expressed grave concern, "It is deeply troubling that a public corporation and its supervisory authority, the Seoul Metropolitan Government, engaged in such conduct despite being fully aware of these facts."

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