District signs MOUs with three funeral homes; unclaimed deceased aged 100 or older, or designated national merit recipients, to receive a formal memorial space
Seoul's Gangseo-gu will cover funeral costs for low-income residents and unclaimed deceased who have no one to arrange a proper burial.
The district office signed a "Gangseo-gu Hyo Funeral MOU for Public Funerals for Low-Income and Unclaimed Residents" with three funeral homes on Thursday.
Gangseo-gu District Mayor Jin Kyo-hoon attended the signing ceremony alongside Choi Hong-geun, head of Gangseo Funeral Home; Kim Dae-woo, head of Gangseo Gaehwa Funeral Home; and Kang Woo-jeong, head of Gimpo Honors Hill Funeral Home.
Under the agreement, the funeral homes will handle all funeral procedures — including body storage, preparation, encoffining and transport to a cremation facility — while the district will cover funeral expenses of 800,000 won ($597) plus daily storage fees of 70,000 won, up to a maximum of 1.05 million won over 15 days.
Eligible recipients include unclaimed deceased with no surviving family or relatives, as well as basic livelihood security recipients who have next of kin but cannot afford to hold a funeral.
Separately from the MOU, the district has also established a minimum dignity protocol for unclaimed deceased who died alone and were aged 100 or older, or were designated national merit recipients. Participating funeral homes will set up a memorial space within their capacity to give the deceased a proper send-off. The funeral homes joined this effort voluntarily, in keeping with the spirit of the Hyo Funeral initiative.
Inquiries about the public funeral program can be directed to the local community service center or the district office's Livelihood Security Division.
"I am deeply grateful to the funeral home representatives who joined us in helping establish a proper funeral culture," District Mayor Jin said. "Gangseo-gu will take responsibility and stand by those who cannot afford a funeral — so that the final moments of low-income residents and the unclaimed are not spent alone."
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