This Year’s Chuseok 5·18 Minju Cemetery Visit to Be Held ‘Online’

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] This year, visits to the National 5·18 Democratic Cemetery during the Chuseok holiday period will be conducted online.

The National 5·18 Democratic Cemetery (Director Yoo Hyungseon) announced on the 22nd that during this Chuseok holiday period (September 30 to October 5), when a concentration of visitors is expected, on-site visits will be replaced by an 'online memorial service.'

This decision was made inevitably to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infections due to the crowding of visitors at the national cemetery during the Chuseok holiday and to ensure the safety of visitors.

The same applies to the National Cemetery (Seoul and Daejeon), the Patriots and Veterans Cemeteries (Yeongcheon, Imsil, Icheon, Sancheong, and Goesan), the Democratic Cemeteries (3·15, 4·19, 5·18), and the Sinam Seonyeol Park.

During this period, access to the national cemeteries (outdoor burial sites, memorial halls, and the eternal flame enshrinement halls) will be restricted, and indoor convenience facilities such as waiting rooms and lounges for visitors will be suspended.

However, on-site visits to the burial sites will be allowed on a limited basis only for unavoidable cases such as anniversaries, Samuje (third-day memorial rites), and 49th-day memorial rites, with prior reservations accepted until the 29th.

Regarding burial and reburial, on-site burial services for the deceased will operate normally, but reburials to the national cemeteries will be suspended.

To alleviate the inconvenience to bereaved families caused by the temporary suspension of on-site visits to the national cemeteries, the online memorial service will be expanded and implemented.

Through the cyber memorial hall on the website, visitors can participate in 'online memorial visits' and 'writing memorial messages.'

Upon prior application by bereaved families, national cemetery staff will take photos of flower offerings and memorial visits to the democratic patriots and send them to the families. This service will be provided to families who apply by phone in advance by the 27th.

The National 5·18 Democratic Cemetery stated, "The replacement of on-site visits with online memorial services during the Chuseok holiday is an unavoidable measure for the safety of veterans' families and the public visiting the national cemeteries amid the unprecedented difficult COVID-19 situation. This decision was made after close consultation with health authorities, and we ask for understanding and cooperation despite some inconvenience and difficulties in paying respects."

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