Seoul Facilities Corporation "Please Refrain from Visiting and Paying Respects at Seoul Municipal Funeral Facilities During Lunar New Year Holidays"

Closure of 5 Indoor Columbariums at Seoul Municipal Burial Facilities One Week Before Lunar New Year Weekend and Holiday
Special Quarantine Measures Implemented Including Ban on Ancestral Visits by Groups of 5 or More, Suspension of Free Shuttle Buses, and Closure of Ritual Rooms

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Facilities Corporation announced on the 29th that it is urging people to refrain from visiting Seoul municipal burial facilities during the Lunar New Year holiday period to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection.

The corporation currently operates 15 burial facilities, including the Seoul Municipal Crematorium in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Paju-si Yongmi 1 and 2 Cemeteries, and the Byeokje Municipal Cemetery in Goyang-si. During last year’s Lunar New Year holiday, a total of 80,000 visitors gathered at these 15 burial facilities.

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the corporation decided to close five indoor columbariums at Seoul municipal burial facilities on holidays from February 6 to February 14. These columbariums include the Memorial House at the Crematorium, the grave-type Memorial Houses A and B at Yongmi 1 Cemetery, the Royal Tomb-style Memorial House, and the building-type Memorial House at Yongmi 2 Cemetery.

Additionally, during the Lunar New Year holiday period, the corporation will implement high-intensity special quarantine measures such as △prohibiting visits by groups of five or more △suspending free shuttle bus services △closing ritual rooms and rest areas △not installing warming shelters △and banning food consumption.

Meanwhile, the corporation also operates the ‘Cyber Memorial House’ service at all times, allowing people to honor and remember the deceased without visiting in person by performing memorial rites and ancestral rites online. This service is available on the Seoul Municipal Crematorium website (www.sisul.or.kr/memorial/), where users can search for the deceased, upload photos of the deceased or their urns, set up ritual tables with food offerings, select flower stands, and post memorial messages.

Director Cho Sung-il said, “We have reluctantly requested people to refrain from visiting memorial facilities during this Lunar New Year holiday period to ensure citizens’ safety,” and added, “Seoul Facilities Corporation will continue to do its best to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the local community.”

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