First funeral facility in northern Gyeonggi underway with six cities joining forces

[Anchor]

Ultimately, gaining the consent of local residents is key to increasing cremation facilities.

Six local governments in northern Gyeonggi Province are working to garner resident support for the construction of a large-scale cremation facility, and our reporter Yoon Na-kyung has investigated the secret behind this effort.

[Report]

Kim Hyung-rae, who lives in Yangju City in Gyeonggi Province, experienced significant inconvenience during a relative's funeral in 2021 due to the lack of nearby cremation facilities.

The nearby cremation facility was fully booked due to high demand, and he ultimately had to travel all the way to Taebaek in Gangwon Province for cremation.

[Kim Hyung-rae/Yangju City resident: "When I tried to make a reservation for the crematorium, places like Byeokje were not available, and Seoul was even worse. I had to go to Taebaek Park, which was a horrific experience. Transporting a body all the way there."]

Currently, there are no cremation facilities in northern Gyeonggi Province, forcing many residents to travel to southern Gyeonggi or even Gangwon Province for cremation.

[Jeong Ji-seok/Yangju City resident: "Because there are no cremation facilities, I know people are going everywhere, including Seongnam, Samcheok, and Inje. There are simply not enough facilities available for cremation..."]

To address this issue, Yangju City, Uijeongbu City, and Namyangju City, along with three other local governments in northern Gyeonggi Province, have been jointly promoting the construction of a large-scale cremation facility since last year.

They have secured a site of over 830,000 square meters in Baekseok-eup, Yangju City, and plan to invest over 200 billion won to establish 12 cremation furnaces, a funeral home, and a columbarium.

They have been able to overcome resident opposition through a change in perception regarding cremation facilities and significant support for the underdeveloped area.

[Kang Soo-hyun/Yangju City Mayor: "Many cities and counties in northern Gyeonggi Province are experiencing inconvenience, so we are promoting the construction of a joint cremation facility."]

The six local governments plan to submit a joint proposal to the central government to urge for swift administrative processing and additional budget support, aiming for completion by 2029.

KBS News, Yoon Na-kyung.