Support for Pet Funerals for Low-Income Families... Seoul City - Animal Funeral Association - 21Gram Group Business Agreement

Korea Animal Funeral Association Expands Companies Reducing Animal Funeral Costs from May
21Gram Group Provides at Least 3,000 Free 'Body Recovery Kits' Annually Including Transport Bags and Sterile Gauze

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 30th that it has signed a business agreement with the Korea Animal Funeral Association and the 21gram Group to promote a culture of respect for life and revitalize animal funeral culture, and will support ‘pet funerals for low-income citizens’ for two years starting in May.

The support target for this ‘pet funeral’ program includes recipients of the National Basic Livelihood Security and the near-poverty class. Through public-private cooperation, a ‘animal corpse handling kit’ will be provided to ensure that animal remains are not immediately discarded upon the death of a pet, and ‘animal funeral expenses’ will be supported to reduce the financial burden on citizens.

According to the agreement, the Korea Animal Funeral Association will actively promote discounts on funeral costs by member animal funeral companies to reduce the financial burden on target citizens. Starting in May, three member companies will each offer a 50,000 KRW discount on animal funeral costs, and the number of participating companies will continue to increase. For pet remains weighing less than 15kg, the burden for low-income individuals is 200,000 KRW, and for those over 15kg, it is 400,000 KRW.

The 21gram Group will provide more than 3,000 ‘animal corpse handling kits’ free of charge annually for eligible citizens. These kits, which are currently sold on the market for 12,800 KRW, include cleansing tissues, gauze, waterproof carrying bags, and a guidebook explaining how to handle pet remains, funeral procedures, and animal registration cancellation procedures.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to promote education on how to respond to sudden pet deaths and raise awareness to revitalize animal funeral culture. Currently, under existing laws, pet remains can be disposed of as waste by placing them in designated waste bags, which conflicts with the sentiment of citizens who consider pets as family members. Considering the lack of animal funeral companies in Seoul and the difficulty for vulnerable citizens to hold animal funerals, the city has decided to provide this support as a priority.

Park Yumi, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Citizen Health Bureau, said, “Through this agreement, we hope that low-income families can properly send off their pets, who are like family members, and hold legitimate funerals. We will reduce unfortunate cases where pet remains are treated as household waste and spread a proper animal funeral culture.”

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