COVID-19 Deaths Surge... Government to Increase Cremation Facility Operations Until Mid-April

Implementation of Intensive Operation Period for 60 Cremation Facilities Until Mid-April

On the 16th, as the spread of COVID-19 continued, citizens were waiting for tests at the screening clinic in front of Seoul City Hall. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki Ha-young] The government will implement a concentrated operation period for 60 cremation facilities nationwide until mid-April. Operating hours for each cremation facility will be extended, and cremations will be conducted by turn, while minimizing cremations of exhumed remains.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 16th that it will carry out a concentrated operation period for 60 cremation facilities nationwide until mid-April to prepare for the recent increase in cremation demand. Through this, the average daily operation per cremation furnace, which was previously 3.3 times (1,044 cases), will be increased to at least 5 times, and up to 7 times in the metropolitan and large city areas, enabling up to 1,580 cremations per day.

Currently, among cremation facilities nationwide, 60 locations are capable of cremating deceased ordinary citizens, operating 316 cremation furnaces excluding reserve furnaces. Under normal conditions, 1,409 cremations per day are possible (1,044 ordinary bodies, 365 exhumed remains and stillborn fetuses).

On a nationwide basis, the cremation supply of all cremation facilities (1,044 cases per day) can meet the cremation demand of the average daily deceased (870.7 persons based on 2021). However, there are issues of temporary supply-demand imbalance due to the presence or absence of cremation facilities by local governments and population density, the recent trend of population aging and increasing cremation rates, increased deaths during winter and transitional seasons, and the need to respond to supply-demand imbalances caused by COVID-19 deaths.

Minister Kwon Deok-cheol stated, "The central government and local governments will collaborate to prepare for cremation demand imbalances," and added, "We ask for your understanding if there is any inconvenience in cremating exhumed remains besides ordinary bodies for the time being."

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