Seoul Facilities Corporation Urges "Refrain from Visiting Municipal Burial Sites During Chuseok Holiday"... Seunghwawon and Others Closed

'Indoor Columbarium Closure from 18th to 22nd'

Yongmi 1 Cemetery - Royal Tomb Style Memorial House

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Facilities Corporation has requested citizens to refrain from visiting graves at Seoul municipal burial sites such as Yongmiri and Byeokjeri during the Chuseok holiday period.

On the 3rd, the corporation announced that to prevent COVID-19 infection, it will prohibit grave visits by groups of five or more during the period, fully close four indoor enshrinement facilities including Seunghwawon Memorial House, the grave-type Memorial House at Yongmi 1 Cemetery, the royal tomb-style Memorial House, and the building-type Memorial House at Yongmi 2 Cemetery. Additionally, pergolas and outdoor tables will not be operated, ritual rooms and rest areas will remain closed, and consumption of food is discouraged.

The corporation also stated that shuttle buses, which were operated every holiday for the convenience of users, will not run this year. To ensure compliance with quarantine guidelines, banners and posters will be displayed, and separate patrol personnel will be organized and operated.

The corporation continuously operates an online Cyber Memorial House service where people can honor and remember the deceased by performing grave visits and ancestral rites virtually. On the Seoul Municipal Seunghwawon website, users can search for the deceased, upload photos, offer flowers, and set up ritual food tables for memorial services. Furthermore, after registering as a member and setting the memorial to 'public,' relatives and acquaintances can also participate in the memorial.

Director Cho Sung-il said, "While everyone wishes to visit in person, we ask for restraint in grave visits during this period of COVID-19 spread," and added, "We hope that the online memorial through the Cyber Memorial House will help alleviate the sorrow."

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