Crematorium shortage prolonging funerals as death tolls rise

Korea is experiencing a crematorium shortage, making some funerals last four days or longer. Bereaved families in Korea struggle to cremate the dead because of limited capacity and increasing death tolls of older adults, led by the aging society.

Funeral cars queue in front of Youngrak Crematorium in Gwangju in 2022. [YONHAP]

Korea is experiencing a crematorium shortage, making some funerals last four days or even longer.

Bereaved families in Korea struggle to cremate the dead because of limited crematorium capacity and increasing death tolls of older adults, led by the aging society.

Funerals in Korea usually end on the third day after the passing, with the cremation on the same day.

However, according to the Korea Funeral Culture & Policy Institute, on Thursday, just 63.8 percent of the deceased were cremated on the third day.

The remaining 36.2 percent were cremated on the fourth day or later. The data was collected from Dec. 1 to Dec. 24.

This phenomenon is most apparent in urban areas, especially the greater Seoul region, which includes Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi.

In Seoul in December, only 33.6 of the dead bodies were cremated on the third day, the lowest percentage in the country.

According to the national cremation-reservation system, two crematoriums — Seunghwawon in Goyang, Gyeonggi, and Seoul Memorial Park in Seocho District, southern Seoul — were fully booked until Saturday, as of Thursday morning. The Seoul Metropolitan Government manages the two crematoriums.

In other words, families of people who died on Thursday would have to hold their cremation in Seoul on Sunday or later, waiting an extra one or more days unless they travel to Gangwon or other provinces for cremation.

Cremation in other provinces can cost eight times more than in Seoul because local governments charge additional costs for non-residents.

Incheon Family Park, the only cremation facility managed by Incheon Metropolitan City, had no available spot until Saturday, as of Thursday morning.

In Gyeonggi in December, around 45 percent of the deceased were cremated on the third day of their passing.

Of Gyeonggi's four crematoriums, only Seongnam’s Funeral Culture Office and Yongin Forest of Tranquility had a few spots.

The monitor at a crematorium shows all cremators are occupied. [YONHAP]

The situation was the same in Busan and Daegu.

In Busan, 57.2 percent of bodies were processed on the third day of their passing at Yeongnak Park, the only public crematorium in the city.

The funeral industry says that bereaved families often make crematorial reservations even before the doctor pronounces death.

In response, some localities started to extend crematoria operating hours and run extra crematoria furnaces to help families conclude funerals promptly.

However, many families must temporarily store ash urns for an extra day.

“One facility cremates the bodies late in the day when the sun goes down,” a funeral director said.

“The families have no choice but to keep the urn inside the car trunk or at their homes instead of charnel facilities because they cannot proceed with further funeral processes after the sun goes down,” he added.

Crematories typically face NIMBY problems from locals, often from the very time of the decision to locate one in their neighborhood.

According to the National Assembly, there are 61 crematories nationwide that are capable of cremating 346,680 bodies.

Last year’s total death toll was 342,128.

Considering demographic and time-related factors, the supply and demand for crematories do not match perfectly.

Older adults gather at a park in central Seoul in 2021. According to Statistics Korea, a total of 34.3 percent of the Korean population will be over 65 by 2040. [NEWS1]

Once Korea becomes a super-aged society — when more than 20 percent of the total population is over 65 — and the death toll surges, the crematorium shortage will likely grow out of control.

Statistics Korea predicted that the annual death toll will reach 410,000 in the 2030s, beyond the current cremation capacity.

Yangju's city government in Gyeonggi is planning to build a new crematorium. However, the construction is expected to begin in 2028.

“The nation should minimize the administrative burden levied on localities that can afford to host new crematoriums such as Yangju City Hall,” said Park Tae-ho, a funeral expert.

“Rather than insisting on three-day funerals, flexible funeral practices that complete the service in less than three days should be encouraged in the long term,” he added.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG, KIM MIN-WOOK [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]