[2021 Muyeongo Report] The Cemetery of 511 Abandoned Graves, Muyeon Burial Sites Left Untended

<4>Becoming Unclaimed Persons Like That

Unclaimed Graves at Yongmiri No.1 Cemetery, Seoul City Cemetery
Same Notice from 10 Years Ago... Overgrown Weeds and Moss

Those Neglected in Non-Developed Burial Areas
Unclaimed Graves Abandoned Even After Death

Graves without relatives or visitors, which have not been maintained for a long time, are identified to number 511 only in the Seoul Municipal Yongmiri Cemetery No. 1. Weeds are growing thickly around the unclaimed graves. Photo by Byungdon Yoo tamond@

[Asia Economy Special Reporting Team = Team Leader Ko Hyung-kwang, Reporters Yoo Byung-don, Jung Dong-hoon, Lee Jung-yoon] ‘Notice. Article 11 of the Act on Funeral Services, etc...’

This was the first phrase on a notice suddenly posted after pushing through thick weeds and trees. Only the yellow sign standing in the thicket explained that this place was a cemetery. Around the cemetery, weeds were growing thickly, and the tombstones occasionally visible were covered with beehives or moss, clearly indicating that the cemetery had not been maintained for years.

Another cemetery about a 10-minute walk away was so remote that even the guide staff could not find it and wandered around. After barely finding the cemetery, the path leading to it was completely blocked by branches and weeds. At this cemetery, there were not one but two guide signs planted.

"This is a notice posted 10 years ago. It means it has been in this condition since 10 years ago."

The voice of the guide staff explaining this was filled with sorrow and frustration. As the guide staff said, one of the notices clearly showed the phrase ‘November 2011.’ Perhaps because no one had visited this tombstone, the notice remained undamaged in front of the cemetery.

Graves without relatives or those that have not been visited and maintained for a long time, known as muyeonbunmyo, were found to number 511 only in the Seoul Municipal Yongmiri Cemetery No. 1. The path to reach the muyeonbunmyo was narrow and rough. Photo by Byungdon Yoo tamond@

Unclaimed graves. These refer to graves that have no relatives or have not been visited and thus have not been maintained for a long time. Among the Seoul Municipal Cemeteries operated by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, there are 511 unclaimed graves in Yongmiri First Cemetery (located in Gwangtan-myeon, Paju-si, Gyeonggi Province). Considering that the total number of graves in the First Cemetery is 31,418, this accounts for 1.6%.

Of these, about 10 unclaimed graves visited by the reporters were very shabby. Most were so poorly maintained that it was hard to even know there were graves there. While the adjacent graves were filled with artificial flowers likely left by families, the areas around the unclaimed graves were overgrown only with weeds and spider webs. They were the figures of unclaimed deceased who had parted from the world and were abandoned by their families while buried in the ground.

The Seoul Facilities Corporation staff who guided the unclaimed graves that day explained, "If cemetery management fees are unpaid for a long time, the graves are designated as unclaimed graves like this," adding, "We notify by mail, but it is rare for families to come." When asked if phone contact was possible, the guide staff gave a bitter smile and said, "More than 90% have old phone numbers like 011 or 017, so calls do not connect."

Graves without relatives or visitors, which have not been maintained for a long time, are identified to number 511 only in the Seoul Municipal Yongmiri Cemetery No. 1. The tombstones of these unclaimed graves are covered with grime and have been neglected for an extended period. Photo by Byungdon Yoo tamond@

A large number of unclaimed graves are located in ‘non-developed cemetery areas’ where the responsibility for management lies with the bereaved families. The ‘developed cemetery areas’ managed by the Seoul Facilities Corporation receive basic maintenance such as grass cutting, but in non-developed areas, weeds grow rapidly unless the families manage them directly. Visually, graves that have been neglected or unmanaged for a long time are almost always designated as ‘unclaimed graves.’ The number of such graves is 511 in Yongmiri First Cemetery alone.

In 2019, the Seoul Facilities Corporation conducted a comprehensive survey and installed ‘exhumation target guide flags’ on such unclaimed graves. This is in accordance with Article 28 of the Act on Funeral Services, which stipulates that ‘bodies or ashes buried in unclaimed graves may be cremated and enshrined for a certain period.’ As the number of long-neglected graves increases, the purpose is to tidy up the cemetery environment through the maintenance of unclaimed graves.

Two years after the installation of the guide flags, in November this year, Seoul plans to prioritize the exhumation of 330 graves that have been buried for more than 30 years. After two rounds of notification and exhumation announcements, if no relatives are found, the remains will be cremated and the ashes enshrined for five years in the unclaimed collective enshrinement room at Yongmiri Second Cemetery. After the enshrinement period ends, the ashes will be scattered at places like Yutaek Hill. Last year, 87 unclaimed graves were exhumed in this manner.

It is somewhat hopeful that local governments are taking the initiative to find unclaimed graves. However, unclaimed graves found on some private lands are difficult to exhume or relocate properly. Efforts to find relatives must be made for about three months before exhumation, and various documents must be submitted to obtain exhumation permission from the local government. The responsibility is thus fully transferred to the landowners rather than the bereaved families.

Graves without relatives or visitors, which have not been maintained for a long time, are identified to number 511 only in the Seoul Municipal Yongmiri Cemetery No. 1. Weeds are growing thickly around the unclaimed graves. Photo by Byungdon Yoo tamond@

Some unclaimed deceased chose to become unclaimed themselves to avoid causing harm to others or their remaining families. However, those who have ended their lives and become deceased have no such choice. Simply because they are buried there, and because they were abandoned by their families, they end up causing unwanted harm to others.

Unclaimed graves, like unclaimed deceased, are serious social problems, but there is no one properly looking into them. Like unclaimed deaths, there are no accurate nationwide statistics, and there are no management measures for unclaimed graves. There are about 20 million graves nationwide, and only vague estimates suggest that about 15% are unclaimed graves due to neglect.

After viewing the unclaimed graves and about to return to Seoul, the scene at the entrance of Yongmiri First Cemetery lingered in the mind. Restaurants, small shops, and convenience stores all sold artificial flowers. As Chuseok approached, visitors came to pay respects, seemingly by agreement, buying artificial flowers and heading to the cemetery.

However, not a single artificial flower was placed in front of the unclaimed graves.

※This article was produced with government advertising fees supported by the Korea Press Foundation.