![A monitor inside a crematorium in Gyeonggi Province displays the current cremation schedule. [Yonhap]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/08/03/news-p.v1.20260803.bd68c0594e5e4604abb23d039ad31b30_P1.jpg)
South Korea's cremation rate has reached 94%, firmly establishing cremation as the dominant funeral practice — yet the policies and regulations governing funeral services have failed to keep pace, and a comprehensive overhaul is needed, according to a new report.
The report, titled "Policy and Regulatory Reform for Funeral Services in a Super-Aged Society," published Monday in Health and Welfare Forum, a monthly journal of the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, found that the burial rate stood at just 6% in 2024, while the cremation rate reached 94%.
In 1993, the cremation rate was only 19.1%, as the practice was largely reserved for victims of traffic accidents or sudden deaths. The rate climbed steadily as burial plots consumed increasingly scarce land, the financial cost of purchasing grave sites rose, and public health concerns mounted.
In 2005, the cremation rate surpassed the burial rate for the first time — 52.6% to 47.4% — marking a turning point in the country's funeral culture.
Despite cremation becoming the norm, funeral policies and regulations still center on traditional burial practices, the report said.
"Policies and systems should be operated efficiently and flexibly to accommodate growing demand for cremation, but the central and local governments have still fallen short in their active efforts to establish a cremation culture," the report said. "In areas without cremation facilities, people have no choice but to travel to a neighboring region that has one, causing significant inconvenience."
There are only 62 cremation facilities nationwide, with just seven concentrated in the Greater Seoul area despite its high population density — making the supply-demand imbalance severe. Some people who choose cremation cannot be served in time due to the shortage, and cases of "cremation trips," where families travel to another region for the service, are increasing.
The shortage of facilities is also tied to public perception. Some local governments have recently seen projects to build public cremation facilities stalled or delayed by community opposition, reflecting a widespread view of such facilities as unwanted in residential areas.
The report also said regulations require prior and post-construction notification or permits for funeral facilities in order to ensure efficient land use, prevent public health hazards and promote public welfare — but added that "the gap between reality and regulation is severe, with many cases of violations of relevant laws."
When establishing private or family burial plots, individuals are required to notify or obtain permits from the local government where the site is located, but such administrative procedures are rarely followed. As a result, most private and family burial plots are effectively operating illegally, the report said.
The report recommended redefining the respective roles of the central government and local governments as a key direction for reforming funeral service policy.
Under the current system, the central government oversees all funeral-related affairs while local governments apply and enforce the relevant laws. The report proposed that the central government limit itself to setting the basic direction and principles of policy, while delegating most responsibilities to local governments so they can tailor detailed standards — such as facility installation requirements — to their own regional conditions.
The report also proposed expanding cremation facilities, introducing a certification system under which the state or accredited public institutions would evaluate funeral facilities and publicly disclose the results, promoting a shift in public attitudes toward funeral culture and facilities, and modernizing funeral infrastructure.
thlee@heraldcorp.com
