People Power Party lawmaker Park Sung-hoon [provided by Park's office]
People Power Party lawmaker Park Sung-hoon [provided by Park's office]

By Jung Seok-jun, The Herald Business

People Power Party lawmaker Park Sung-hoon on Tuesday introduced a bill that would allow the state and local governments to support the sanitary restoration and post-death cleanup of solitary-death scenes.

Current law focuses on preventing solitary deaths and identifying and supporting at-risk individuals, but critics say its provisions for post-death scene cleanup and sanitation management are insufficient. They argue that the absence of a legal basis for sanitary restoration, contaminated-waste disposal and personal-effects clearance after a solitary death leads to neglected scenes and an ongoing burden on local communities.

The proposed amendment would allow the state and local governments to provide necessary support — including sanitary restoration of the scene, disposal of contaminated waste and clearance of personal effects — when a person dies alone and has no next of kin or whose next of kin cannot be identified.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said it agreed on the need to support sanitation management and scene cleanup at solitary-death sites. It added, however, that limiting state and local government support to cases involving individuals with no next of kin would be appropriate, given that under civil law the rights and responsibilities for post-death matters — including inheritance and clearance of personal effects — rest with surviving relatives when they exist.

"A solitary death is not simply a matter that ends with one person's passing — it is a social challenge that the remaining space and the surrounding community must bear together," Park said. "Particularly in cases involving individuals with no next of kin, there are many instances where the failure to properly clean and restore the scene creates additional hardship for neighboring residents and the wider community."

Park added that responsible post-death cleanup is just as important as preventing solitary deaths in the first place. "I hope this amendment will allow the state and local governments to support the sanitary restoration and post-death cleanup of unaccompanied solitary-death scenes, thereby preserving the dignity of the deceased and easing the burden on local communities," he said.


mp1256@heraldcorp.com