Active Government Support Crucial for Comprehensive Funeral Facilities Construction

Nine local governments—Hwaseong City and nearby Bucheon, Ansan, Anyang, Pyeongtaek, Siheung, Uiwang, Gwangmyeong, Gunpo, and Gwacheon—adopted a motion requesting expansion of the government's role, including increased state and provincial financial support for joint-type comprehensive funeral facilities, for smooth implementation of the joint funeral facilities project.

On the 26th, Hwaseong City Mayor Chae In-seok held a briefing on project implementation at Suk-gol 1-ri in Maesong-myeon, the planned construction site for the joint comprehensive funeral facility, with the heads of nine municipalities jointly promoting the funeral facility project. He urged the realization of state and provincial financial support for successful project implementation, noting that the joint-type comprehensive funeral facility being promoted for the first time through inter-regional cooperation is a large-scale facility to be jointly used by 5 million residents across 10 local governments in accordance with the government's policy direction.

Furthermore, due to concerns about project delays, including the extended administrative procedure period in the approval process of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport as the planned construction site is restricted from development, the cities are also requesting prompt processing of the establishment of greenbelt management plans and review of eligible facilities.

According to materials submitted by the relevant cities, the budget required for the construction of the joint-type funeral facility is approximately 120 billion won. State and provincial subsidies currently support only 70% of national funding and 15% of provincial funding based on construction costs for cremation facilities estimated at 20.7 billion won and ossuary facilities estimated at 2 billion won, which fall short of 14% of the total project cost, according to the statement.

Additionally, the motion includes no support for ancillary facilities essential to funeral facilities, such as entrance and exit roads and screening facilities. The 10 municipalities, including Hwaseong City, included provisions requesting that the current state and provincial subsidies be provided at 70% for national funding and 15% for provincial funding based on total project cost rather than construction cost.

The Hwaseong joint comprehensive funeral facility, contrary to initial expectations that it would receive low applications due to NIMBY perceptions, drew significant participation from residents, with six villages submitting applications during the candidate site recruitment, and has been introduced in foreign media as a case of overcoming NIMBY phenomena.

The comprehensive funeral facility, a first-ever case being jointly constructed by 10 local governments without cremation facilities, is a regional funeral facility to be used by 5 million residents in the western and southern Gyeonggi Province area, scheduled for completion in 2018, featuring cremation facilities, ossuary facilities, natural burial grounds, funeral halls, and ancillary facilities.