'No-parlor funerals keep rising — nearly half in some districts'

Mayor calls for more funeral space at city hospitals, Seoul Memorial Park

Cremation capacity at Seoul Memorial Park already scaled up to meet demand

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon inspects an autonomous mobile robot operating in the expanded cremation facility at Seoul Memorial Park. [Herald DB]
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon inspects an autonomous mobile robot operating in the expanded cremation facility at Seoul Memorial Park. [Herald DB]

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon on Wednesday received a briefing at a senior staff meeting on the rising number of no-parlor funerals and ordered officials to draw up plans to expand public funeral facilities in response to shifting funeral culture and growing citizen demand.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Oh said no-parlor funerals have continued to increase due to a combination of factors — rising funeral costs, a growing preference for economic practicality and shrinking family sizes — adding that the share of such funerals has reached nearly half in some districts.

"Among those choosing no-parlor funerals, there will be cases where people are forced to simplify the process because of financial hardship or difficult family circumstances," Oh said. "The public needs to ease that burden so no one is unable to properly mourn a loved one simply because of the cost."

On specific facility expansion measures, Oh called on officials to actively research ways to operate family-centered, tailored funeral spaces at city hospitals suited to the rise in single-person households and an aging population, and to expand space at Seoul Memorial Park where simple funerals can be held, given the limits of existing facilities.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government currently operates "Seoul-style affordable funeral homes" at Seoul Medical Center, Boramae Hospital and Dongbu Hospital to reduce the financial burden on residents. Boramae Hospital and Dongbu Hospital each have one small funeral space of about 40 square meters for residents who want a simple service.

Oh also said public funeral services, currently focused mainly on people with no next of kin, need to be expanded to meet changing citizen needs. "We must anticipate the growing demand for funeral services and proactively prepare the necessary facilities and services," he said.

In a related move, the Seoul Metropolitan Government expanded the number of cremation units at Seoul Memorial Park from 11 to 15 in August last year, increasing daily cremation capacity from 59 to 85 — about 1.5 times the previous level — to keep pace with rising demand.

Oh closed the meeting by urging officials to "take proactive steps and make forward-looking investments so that every citizen can mourn their loved ones with dignity, free from financial burden."


ikson@heraldcorp.com