The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport ordered Seoul to halt construction of the "Garden of Gratitude" at Gwanghwamun Square, citing violations of relevant regulations.
The ministry confirmed that the project violated the National Land Planning Act and the Road Act, and issued a stop-work order to Seoul on March 3 under Article 133 of the National Land Planning Act.
The ministry had previously notified Seoul of the intended order on February 9 under Article 21 of the Administrative Procedures Act after confirming legal violations. The final decision came after hearing Seoul's position and conducting on-site inspections.
The ministry determined that installing underground exhibition facilities unrelated to the designated urban planning functions of roads and plazas requires either development permits including changes to urban management plans, or separate designation of the underground facilities as cultural facilities under urban planning rules. The failure to complete these procedures constitutes a significant procedural defect, the ministry said.
Seoul announced on February 23 that it would respect the ministry's opinion and immediately supplement procedures under the National Land Planning Act. However, the city submitted that halting construction during the current thaw season raises safety concerns, and that safety measures at the construction site must be completed ahead of a BTS concert scheduled for March 21 at Gwanghwamun, which is expected to draw large crowds.
The ministry decided to issue the stop-work order after three rounds of hearings with Seoul and two on-site inspections. Regarding Seoul's concerns, the ministry said, "Expert inspections determined that the current state poses no problems through the thaw season, but considering the scheduled large-scale concert, we decided to accept Seoul's opinion in terms of strengthening accident prevention."
The ministry excluded safety measures from the stop-work order, including installation of cover plates over the underground exhibition hall and reinforcement of existing underground walls to restore conditions to their pre-project state. The ministry urged active implementation of measures unrelated to project progress, such as installing safety fences and deploying safety personnel.
"Urban planning facilities are important public infrastructure that maintain urban functions and significantly affect citizens' lives, so installation or changes must follow legitimate procedures including gathering residents' opinions and consulting with relevant administrative agencies," said Kim Yi-tak, First Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. "We expect this case will serve as an opportunity for local governments and private urban planning facility operators to faithfully implement procedures prescribed by law."
The Garden of Gratitude is a memorial being constructed by Seoul on the western side of Gwanghwamun Square to honor soldiers from 22 countries who fought in the Korean War. Appearing on the program "Hwang Hyun-hee's Uncomfortable Yeouido" on the same day, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon criticized the government's intervention, saying, "The project is about 60% complete, it passed the city council, and we received budget approval." He added, "Out of nowhere, the Ministry of Land comes out saying we skipped procedures and threatens to issue a stop-work order—this is also a political attack."