Contents

Public Funerals at Anyang City ⓒ Anyang City 

√ Overview

√ Introduction

√ Accompolsiments

√ Expansion

■ Public Funerals, Paving a Dignified Path for the Unclaimed Deceased      

More municipal governments are introducing Public Funerals in response to a rapid rise in unclaimed persons, stemming from a rise of unmarried individuals and single-person households. Public Funerals are a service to maintain dignity for the deceased and bring social welfare values to life by supporting deceased individuals who are unable to afford or arrange a funeral due to family breakdown, poverty, or other circumstances. Public Funerals were first implemented by Shinan-gun, South Jeolla Province, in 2007, and Seoul City was the first metropolitan government to implement the program in 2018. This was followed by Gyeonggi Province, Incheon, Busan, and other basic municipal governments in suit.

Former funeral legislation provisions had no specific mention of funeral procedures and support methods for the unclaimed deceased. Each local municipal government thus operated Public Funerals individually with respective local ordinances, leading to the issue of disparity between how different governments held funeral processes.

In response to this, National Assembly member Hong Seok-jun proposed the “Funeral Legislation Amendment” that specified a unified set of rules to support funerals for the unclaimed deceased, and the bill was passed in February 2023, leading to a new path for funeral support for the unclaimed deceased. This provided a legal basis to guarantee individuals other than relatives the right to perform funerals, allowing the unclaimed deceased to no longer be neglected.

With a legal basis in place to guarantee a dignified last farewell for the unclaimed deceased, Anyang City operates Public Funeral service that cannot be found outside of the city. “Remember,” a Public Funeral volunteer group born from a cooperative effort between the private and public sector, acts as the principal mourner, and accompanies them on their final journey.

Public Funerals at Anyang City ⓒ Anyang City

■ The Public and Public Sector, Cooperating to Support Public Funerals in Anyang      

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Anyang City enacted the “Anyang City Public Funeral Support Ordinance for the Unclaimed Deceased, etc.” in March 2020, and initiated a plan to implement a Public Funeral support program in March 2021 to establish an institutional foundation for Public Funeral support. The unclaimed deceased, who had previously been cremated and enshrined with no proper funeral procedures, had now been dedicated time for mourning and a chance to rest in peace with the Public Funeral initiative.

The largest difference with Anyang City’s Public Funerals is that they are conducted through cooperation between the private and public sector. The Public Funeral program began with the collaboration of The Anyang City Volunteer Service Center(ACVSC) and funeral homes so that citizens could act as family members, instead of the funeral process being outsourced to religious organizations or funeral service providers.

In May 2021, the Anyang City Municipal Government, the ACVSC, and Anyang Funeral Hall gathered to sign an initial agreement for their MOU to implement the “Public Funeral Support Program for the Unclaimed Deceased.” Anyang City would provide the administrative support to register the unclaimed deceased, while Anyang Funeral Hall would provide funeral halls, ritual items, and conduct funeral procedures, and the ACVSC would provide volunteers necessary for funeral proceedings to conduct the memorial ceremony. As a result, a successful first step was made in establishing Public Funerals for the unclaimed deceased through a collaboration between the private and public sector.

Signing of the First MOU ⓒ Anyang City

■ “Remember” Will be the Family that Accompanies You to the End          

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The ACVSC created the “Remember” Public Funeral neighborhood service group in August 2021 to assist with the funeral services of unclaimed deceased. The role of its volunteer service was expanded so that the assistance it provided went beyond simple “help”, expanding to an “opportunity for growth” that placed human dignity and moral responsibility into action. 

The name “Remember” aims to remind the public that everybody has the right to be treated with dignity and respect in death, while sharing a message that the unclaimed deceased are embraced as members of our community.

The Remember volunteer group is part of the ACVSC, with 34 members after 5 terms in action, consisting of retirees, hospice service groups, honorary citizen volunteers, and community project coaches, etc. Members of the group undergo a growth and training program to be educated on Public Funeral procedures, ceremonial processes, and volunteer responsibilities before participation. In the event that an unclaimed deceased individual requires a Public Funeral, the members become their “community family” and perform the role of principal mourners, conducting funeral processes and providing memorial speeches, etc. to join the deceased on their last farewell. So far, a total of 86 Public Funerals have been conducted with 849 annual participants, taking part with heartfelt condolences for the deceased.

The Anyang City Public Funeral Volunteer Group, “Remember” ⓒ Anyang City

Furthermore, the ACVSC website has established a Public Funeral notice board since January 2022, providing notice of the unclaimed deceased to assist in reaching family and relatives, while providing neighbors and citizens an opportunity to mourn the passing of the deceased. Once the funerals have concluded, the “Public Funeral Stories” section of the website records and cherishes the deceased, making sure that they are not alone for their final journey, with a warm farewell.

In January 2023, Anyang City, the Metro Hospital Funeral Hall, and the ACVSC signed a second agreement. Through an additional MOU with the Metro Hospital Funeral Hall, support for Public Funerals were further expanded. 

In April 2024,  the ACVSC held a roundtable meeting for the participating institutes, who reviewed the initiatives carried out to date, and agreed to actively join efforts to establish a more systematic and professional Public Funeral service support program.

MOU Signing and Roundtable Meetings for Cooperative Organizations ⓒ Anyang City

 

■ Public Funerals, Introduced as Model Policy Cases in the Media     

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Beginning with the first Public Funeral support cases, the successful initiatives of Anyang City, accomplished through private and public sector cooperation at the municipal level, were introduced as model examples of Public Funeral implementation by key media outlets, including Joonang Daily in 2021 and KBS Open Channel in 2024. With implementation methods distinctly different from Public Funerals in other municipalities, Anyang City showed that Public Funerals in Korea had the potential to develop even further.

In April 2024, Anyang City was joined by Anseong City, Gwangmyeong City, Seoul’s Seongdong District and Gwanak District, Daejeon City’s Yuseong District, and Gangwon Province’s Goseong-gun at the 6th Local Governor’s Club Forum. Here, Anyang City’s Public Funeral program was introduced and given the opportunity to be established as a model case to other municipal governments.

Anyang City will implement public initiatives to prevent any further rise in unclaimed deceased and solitary deaths resulting from social isolation and disconnection, effectively building a compassionate community free from concerns of social isolation.

The 6th Local Governor’s Club Forum, Introducing the Public Funeral Program ⓒ Seoul City