For a Dignified Death and Mourning... Busan City Supports First 'Gongyeong Jangrye' for Unclaimed Deceased

The Number of Unclaimed and Low-Income Citizen Deaths in Busan Area Shows an Increasing Trend Every Year

Busan City Public Funeral Hall, First Public Funeral.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] On July 29, the first 'Public Funeral' was held in Busan.

The main subject was Mr. A (87 years old), a basic livelihood security recipient residing in Saha-gu. Mr. A, who had been hospitalized for a long time due to chronic illness during his lifetime, passed away alone as an unclaimed person without any interaction with neighbors.

After learning about Mr. A's story, the Saha-gu Welfare Department consulted with the funeral service provider, Gajokjang, for the deceased's final rites and requested public funeral support from Busan City. The city selected Mr. A as the first public funeral recipient and prepared a funeral parlor within Yeongnak Park.

Jung In-pyo, CEO of Gajokjang, who served as the chief mourner for the unclaimed Mr. A, said, "I have felt bad having to send off many unclaimed deceased without funerals, but thanks to the city's support, we were able to hold a funeral and bid farewell to the deceased, which is fortunate."

Busan City supports 'Public Funerals' that provide funeral services upon death for unclaimed persons and low-income citizens. This is a public funeral service where the city prepares a funeral parlor and supports necessary funeral arrangements for unclaimed and low-income individuals who find it difficult to hold funerals due to family breakdown or poverty, ensuring the deceased maintain dignity as human beings and allowing bereaved families and acquaintances to mourn.

The actual number of unclaimed deceased in the Busan area has been increasing annually, from 237 in 2019 to 345 in 2020, and 369 in 2021.

Until now, the handling of unclaimed bodies was managed by district and county offices, but support was limited to waiving costs for handling, cremation, and enshrinement. Among the 16 districts and counties, only 10 have enacted public funeral ordinances, and only 6 of those provide budget support.

Accordingly, the city enacted the 'Busan Metropolitan City Public Funeral Ordinance' and on June 30 established a dedicated funeral parlor, the 'Busan City Public Funeral Room,' at Yeongnak Park to build a foundation for promoting public funerals.

Furthermore, the city plans to act as a control tower by providing budget support and standard guidelines to unify the varying support contents across districts and counties, ensuring that eligible individuals receive the same benefits regardless of residence. This year, the city estimates 200 recipients in the second half and plans to secure a budget of 160 million KRW (800,000 KRW per person for funeral support).

The support targets for public funerals are deceased persons within Busan City who are ▲ unclaimed persons ▲ low-income citizens unable to manage funerals (with bereaved families consisting only of minors, disabled persons, or elderly aged 75 or older) ▲ or others recognized by the mayor, district mayor, or county governor as needing public funeral support. When a death occurs, the district or county decides the recipient either ex officio or upon application and holds funeral rites (1-2 day funeral) within 24 hours at the dedicated funeral parlor.

The Busan Facilities Corporation has prepared an altar and artificial flowers using existing space at the entrance of the first-floor office in Yeongnak Park to allow free use at any time. Lee Haesung, director of the Facilities Corporation, said, "We have specially and sincerely prepared the public funeral room," adding, "We will do our best to ensure the deceased rest peacefully without loneliness on their final journey."

The city plans to secure related budgets in the second half of the year to support low-income citizens in districts and counties without a public funeral budget to hold funerals near their residence if desired.

Mayor Park Hyung-jun said, "Recently, due to family breakdown and economic difficulties, the number of unclaimed deceased whose bodies are abandoned or who have no relatives is increasing every year," adding, "We will actively support so that these individuals are not cremated immediately without funeral or memorial procedures and can have a dignified death as human beings, making Busan a city where people want to live even if reborn."

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