Lifting of COVID Funeral Procedure Restrictions... "Suspension of 10 Million Won Funeral Expense Support"

Abolition of Notices and Announcements This Month
Radio Interference Prevention Fee of 3 Million Won to Continue

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki Ha-young] The government notices and announcements that have restricted the burial methods and funeral procedures for COVID-19 deceased will be abolished within this month. Accordingly, COVID-19 funeral procedures will become the same as general funeral procedures, and the payment of 10 million KRW in funeral support funds to the bereaved families of COVID-19 deceased will also be discontinued. However, 3 million KRW for transmission prevention costs will continue to be supported to funeral facilities.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced on the 1st the "Improvement Plan for Burial Methods and Funeral Expense Support for COVID-19 Deceased" with these details.

The government plans to abolish the "Notice on Burial Methods and Procedures for COVID-19 Corpses" and the "Announcement on Infectious Diseases Subject to Burial Method Restrictions" within this month.

Earlier, on January 27, the "Notice on Burial Methods and Procedures for COVID-19 Corpses" and the "Guidelines for Funeral Management of COVID-19 Deceased" were revised to allow "cremation after funeral." Previously, cremation had to be done before holding the funeral for COVID-19 deceased. However, with the revision of related guidelines, burial of the corpse is also possible if the bereaved family wishes.

Park Hye-kyung, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters' quarantine support team, explained, "By abolishing the related notices and announcements that mandated cremation, we are proceeding with the process to completely remove legal restrictions."

As soon as the notices are abolished, the payment of 10 million KRW funeral support funds to the bereaved families of COVID-19 deceased will also be stopped. Before the revision of funeral guidelines, the government had paid this support fund to comfort families who could not be with their loved ones at the time of death due to the "cremation first, funeral later" method.

Sohn Young-rae, head of the social strategy team at the Central Accident Response Headquarters, explained, "As COVID-19 funeral procedures become the same as ordinary funeral procedures, the need to specially provide financial support to bereaved families decreases, and this measure aims to address that."

However, the government plans to continue supporting 3 million KRW for transmission prevention costs to funeral facilities to prevent avoidance of COVID-19 deceased.