Since 1997, 10 World Heritage sites including Jongmyo Shrine and Changdeokgung Palace Complex have inscribed on the World Heritage List. Now 14 heritages are on the World Heritage Tentative list which Korean World Heritage might be increased in the fu...
Since 1997, 10 World Heritage sites including Jongmyo Shrine and Changdeokgung Palace Complex have inscribed on the World Heritage List. Now 14 heritages are on the World Heritage Tentative list which Korean World Heritage might be increased in the future, Although the need of managing World Heritage is getting higher because of growing number of heritages, Korean central and local governments do not have any World Heritage Management system yet and nowadays are still focusing on inscription. But World Heritage management issue is growing and these days the UNESCO WHC demands State parties to prepare nominations documents with heritage management plans. Moreover, the concept of heritage management is expanding to sustainable development which include social and economic conditions for the society.
In case of urban heritage, especially, the linkage between heritage management and urban management is important because there are lots of conflicts in surrounding areas of heritage. In addition, as the number of inscribed heritages is increasing, central government cannot handle all of them anymore. Therefore, building capacity of local government is significant. In this situation, the research question is "How can we manage the surrounding areas of urban world heritages in Korea?"
As in the cases of Jongmyo Shrine and Changdeogung Palace Complex which were inscribed in 1995 and 1997 are World Heritage of Seoul and located in city center. When they were inscribed, they did not have to designate the boundary of buffer zone nor to submit the management plans. As a consequence, they have been managed by heritage and urban management system of Seoul not by the World Heritage management system.
This study would like to suggest desirable management system for surrounding areas of Jongmyo and Changdeokgung palace Complex with the flow of international urban heritage management. For that reason, on the basis of Operational Guidelines from WHC and international charters, the criteria of urban heritage management were compared to the Korean current management system. The categories of management system are 'boundaries', 'management plans' and 'implementing system'. Each one has been reviewed on the subject of heritage and urban management system.
Though the concept of 'conservation area for historic and cultural environment' which is reviewed when constructing new buildings is close to the international standard, the evidence of designation does not include social, economic conditions nor settings of heritage. Also, they are not related to urban districts.
And the two heritages do not have any management plan including long-term vision and surrounding areas. Supposing that central government establish a heritage management plan as is usual practice, it would not satisfy the international standard. Furthermore, the management elements for surrounding areas are controlled in the urban management system but actually are not in the heritage management plan.
The 'implementing system' are contained by 'changing present conditions', 'projects by urban plans' and 'management agents'. The changing present condition can only regulate the buildings’ height and cannot design streets or public spaces in the surrounding areas. The heritage management plan does not manage these space elements of surrounding areas. And the 'Implementing agents' which mean administrative system for heritage and urban management are structurally hard to communicate each other when establishing plans and implementing them.
Therefore, the most urgent to manage surrounding areas of urban world heritage sites is establishing the Jongmyo and Changdeokgung conservation and management plans. The plan is not only for repairing or restoring heritages and installing facilities such as benches, signs, museum but for considering landscapes, social and economic conditions of city center, urban plans, etc. The scope of plan comes to 'setting' above the conservation area for historic and cultural environment, diverse urban districts and buffer zone which is going to be designated. It also should cover various levels of urban plans such as city center master plan, landscape plan, district unit plans furthermore plans for tourism, landscape and risk management.
Above all, to support the operation of the alternative management plan, it is essential to improve the implementing agent structure. Taking the examples aforementioned, the conclusion suggests 'the world heritage management organization' which plays a role of coordination bureau when having a conference with various stakeholders. And the status of this organization is equal to the deputy mayor. It will establish world heritage management plans, communicate with stakeholders like residents and NGOs who are not belong to the administrative agents.
In conclusion, this study suggest a comprehensive management plans and the management agent in local government only for the each heritage. Even though the study could not reflect other voices of public officials in field, it suggests the desirable way of urban world heritage management between heritage and urban management. Afterwards, it would be a basic research on establishing world heritage conservation and management system.