A prototype of a garden cemetery in Yongmiri, Seoul. Instead of tombs, the burial place will be filled with flowers and paths to provide a more pleasing atmosphere. / Courtesy of Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs


By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter

From May, people will be able to pay their respects to their deceased loved ones under blossoming trees.

The government has suggested some guidelines to encourage more nature-friendly burial sites than conventional cemeteries, which are by and large already full. New environmentally friendly cemeteries will be opened on May 26, and the current graveyards will also be gradually transformed into more eco-conscious ones.

The new style for burial will involve burying the cremated remains of the deceased under trees, and among plants or in the grass.

``This burial is not only good for the environment, but also for people who find the sight of public cemeteries where hundreds of tombs and tombstones are lined up somewhat morbid'' said Lee Sang-in, an official of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Family Affairs. ``Also, it may lessen local residents' resistance toward cemeteries or crypts being built in their midst since the sites are less conspicuous,'' she said.

Ultimate Recycling

Another ministry official Koh Deok-ki said the new system will be much more affordable.

``We haven't come up with the exact costs. Around 210,000-500,000 won ($200-500) will do, a lot cheaper than other methods'' he said.

The ministry has developed some models in several cities nationwide ― a 16,000-capacity cemetery in Seoul; a 10,000-capacity one in Incheon; and a 19,000 and 18,000 in Gwangju and Suwon, respectively.

Thus form of burial is already popular in the United Kingdom, Sweden and Germany where cemeteries are landscaped like parks for people to pay their respects in the midst of nature.

Public sentiment toward these types of cemeteries in Korea is also becoming more accepting. According to the civic group Life21's survey on 800 people nationwide over 20 years old, 30 percent said they want to use them, while 44 percent they would consider it. Some 65 percent said they expect the ``natural'' cemeteries would contribute to the improvement of ``burial culture.''

The ministry explained that people should put cremated ashes into a small wooden urn which they will be buried more than 30 centimeters underground. Those who do not use the urns should mix the ashes with the soil.

Individuals will be able to do this by simply reporting it to the local administration office while religious groups, corporations or family clans must ask for permission. Also, the system does not allow for the erection of tombstones, but rather the inconspicuous placing of a sign on the tree.

The ministry's decision is based on the prediction that the current cemeteries or crypts will run out of space in the near future. By 2020, about 380,000 people are expected to die annually, so the new burial system could be a good alternative for all ― the environment, bereaved families and the government.

Religious groups have also showed keen interest in the system. According to Gyeonggi Provincial Office, Buddhist temples and Catholic churches said they would like to have such burial grounds.

``We expect more people to use the new burial system because the cremation rate is going up every year and people are showing more interest toward the environmentally-friendly way,'' the ministry official Lee said.

bjs@koreatimes.co.kr