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The following piece was published in today's Hankyoreh...
And if we're clever, we can use the subject to stop the entire "redevelopment" project in Myeong-dong (at least for a while) untill we're able to enunciate our objection/demands to achieve a "redevelopment law", which is not AGAINST THE ['ordinary'] PEOPLE!

Myeongdong Cathedral forced to suspend redevelopment project

Academics recognize the area under the construction site as a ‘minefield of relics’

A suspension was called in the Myeongdong Cathedral redevelopment effort embarked upon last month by the Catholic Diocese of Seoul. The diocese continued with the project in spite of concerns from the academic community.

The debate over the justification for the move is being replayed after construction was halted due to the discovery two weeks ago of a late Yi Dynasty brick drainage pipe at the construction site for the cathedral’s northern parking facility.

Despite a Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) decision to have a full excavation, the construction company used excavators on Oct. 29 and 31 to illegally dig the area, including the site of the tennis courts and hill behind what was formerly the bishop’s house. The construction was only halted after a civic group lodged an accusation with police against the diocese and company.

The situation now sees a Catholic order accused of violating the Cultural Properties Protection Act.

The drainage pipe that was unearthed is thought to be a rare relic showing the change from Joseon (Chosun)-era manual engineering technology to modern British-style technology. Since only a portion was found protruding, a full excavation is very likely to turn up other relics from life in the late Yi era.

The CHA and academic community expressed consternation at the illegal excavation of the area by the order without any experts present even after the discovery of such an important relic.

At a press conference Wednesday morning at the cathedral’s main gate, the Korea Cultural Heritage Policy Research Institute and other civic organizations said, “We cannot contain our astonishment at the illegal actions of the diocese, which put up a fence on a public holiday and dug up a site where cultural heritage is buried.”

The groups called for a provisional designation of the entire cathedral area as a national historic site and the formation of a cultural heritage investigation committee.

CHA said, “It is impossible to comprehend their performing construction work illegally without an expert present.”

“For now, we plan to extend the excavation period by about 70 days and conducted a close survey of the area where the relic was found,” the administration added.

The Diocese of Seoul has kept quiet.

In a telephone interview Wednesday, its public relations department said, “We have no established official position.”

Observers within the order are saying signs have been detected that the leadership plans to quickly go ahead with the scheduled construction effort in spite of whatever objections might come from outside. The argument is that the diocese is feeling the push to quickly resolve the longstanding redevelopment issue, including the building of a diocese complex, ahead of the retirement of Cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk, which is scheduled to take place early next year.

A religious official said, “My understanding is that reporters with religious news organs like the Catholic Times were forbidden to write articles about the discovery.”

“There are a lot of indignant people out there,” the official added.

At the moment, the diocese management bureau’s construction office is in charge of the effort, but Bishop Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, the Auxiliary Bishop of Seoul, and secretary Father Ahn Byeong-cheol are known to be the main figures giving directions at the scene.

The area around the Myeongdong Cathedral main gate has been recognized by academics as a “minefield of relics.” It includes the sites of houses of the faithful during the age of persecution in the early 19th century, as well as remains from the diocese’s missionary era early in the late Yi period. Diocese officials agreed that further excavation would likely turn up a large number of buried artifacts from the early 19th century or major relics dating to the Gyeongseong Diocese days of the late Yi period and Japanese occupation.

Observers also said the preservation conflict with the academic sector and civic organizations is certain to intensify.

In a celebratory address at the groundbreaking ceremony for the redevelopment on Oct. 16, Cardinal Cheong said the effort “is intended to create a society filled with peace and justice... through the church communicating more actively with the world.”

Observers, however, contend that reality is on a path in the opposite direction of his hopes.

http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_entertainment/503807.html