[2021 Muyeongo Report] Different Departments in Local Governments Nationwide

<7>The Pros and Cons of the Muyeongo Policy

Epilogue - Reporting Notes

Insufficient Data on Deceased's Gender and Age
Some Local Governments Lack Even a Corpse Disposal Register
Perception That It Is Only an Issue for the Elderly Persists

Our reporter Lee Jung-yoon is lighting incense to pray for the deceased at a public funeral for unclaimed deceased individuals. At the funeral hall for the unclaimed deceased, not even a memorial tablet was placed, making the loneliness feel even greater. Photo by Yoo Byung-don tamond@

[Asia Economy Special Investigation Team = Team Leader Ko Hyung-kwang, Reporters Yoo Byung-don, Jung Dong-hoon, Lee Jung-yoon] “I don’t know who they are. I’ve never seen their face even once...”

A comment from a neighboring room guest, encountered while tracing the whereabouts of a 50-year-old unidentified deceased who ended their life in a shabby lodging in Gyeonggi Province after wandering across the country, was very hollow. They said that although there was only a wall between them and they might have crossed paths at least once on the way, they had no idea who the person who passed away a week ago was. It could not simply be dismissed as an individual's indifference to their neighbor. It felt like a direct reflection of how our society treats unidentified deceased persons.

Currently, South Korea’s measures for unidentified deaths are still insufficient. Some local governments conduct public funerals for unidentified deceased persons, but it is left to their discretion. For unidentified deceased persons, only formal funerals without proper mourning halls or mourners are held. In reality, many unidentified deceased persons are cremated directly from the morgue without even this.

There are no clear statistics or standards. Requests for disclosure of data related to unidentified deceased persons over the past five years were made to 229 basic local governments nationwide, but the responsible departments were all different. Some places handle the matter through the Social Welfare Division, others through the Hygiene Policy Division, and still others through the Livelihood Security Division. The data related to unidentified deceased persons from local governments are also inadequate. Some local governments do not even have a corpse management ledger that should record the deceased’s gender, age, place of death (or discovery), and so on.

Our reporter Yoo Byung-don is visiting the house of a deceased person with no known relatives to assist with organizing their belongings. Photo by Jung Dong-hoon hoon2@

Since the problem is not identified, proper solutions cannot be made. The perception that unidentified deaths are only an issue for the elderly still persists. Due to the increase in single-person households and the impact of COVID-19, the number of unidentified deceased persons in their 40s and 50s is rising, and those under 30 are no longer an exception. It is time to regard this as a societal-wide issue.

Japan, where the issue of unidentified deaths emerged earlier than in South Korea, has introduced and implemented various measures. The most representative is the unidentified deceased notification system. The Japanese National Police Agency has established “Unknown Identity Consultation Offices” at each police station and substation, and when an unidentified deceased person is found, they draw a portrait and announce it on websites, etc. They focus on encouraging relatives to come forward and claim the body to reduce the number of unidentified deceased persons. It is known that more than 10% of those who might have been treated as unidentified deceased returned to their families. In fact, in Tokyo in 2018, there were 170 unidentified deceased persons, and through this system, 20 were able to find their relatives.

The causes of unidentified deaths are diverse. They are complex, including population aging, lack of community spirit, and the breakdown of family structures. It has reached a level where leaving it to local government discretion is difficult to solve. The central government must seriously pay attention to establish proper measures. Of course, an accurate understanding of the reality of unidentified deaths must precede this.