20,000-Urn Capacity Enshrinement Facility, Memorial Tower, Memorial Hall, Administration Building, and Auxiliary Facilities
[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] Gangwon Province is collaborating with the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs to support the nearby burial of national veterans residing in the Gangwon region.
The province announced on the 19th that it plans to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the 20th for the "'Gangwon Area National Cemetery (Hogukwon) Construction Project,'" which will be carried out by 2028.
According to the province, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs has established a plan to create a national cemetery with a capacity of 20,000 graves by 2028, including burial facilities, a memorial tower, a memorial hall, and administrative buildings, starting with a feasibility study and basic design research for site selection in the Gangwon area.
Last November, proposals to host the Gangwon Area National Cemetery were received from Hoengseong, Yeongwol, and Yanggu counties. The feasibility study for site selection will be completed by July this year, followed by a site suitability evaluation, with the construction site to be selected in October.
The MOU will be signed with the province, the Gangwon Branch of the Korean War Veterans Association, and the Gangwon Veterans Association, among others, with plans to complete design and permit services by 2025, begin construction in 2026, and open in the second half of 2028.
The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs will contribute to revitalizing the local economy and gathering residents' opinions, while Gangwon Province will provide administrative support for permits, infrastructure development such as roads and rivers, and handle civil complaints.
Kim Jin-seung, Chairman of the Gangwon Province Veterans Organizations Council and head of the Korea Disabled Veterans Association Gangwon Branch, said, "The 18,000 war veterans in the Gangwon region have long wished to be buried in their homeland. Families also hoped to be able to visit them nearby, so we are very pleased that Hogukwon will be established in Gangwon."
Governor Choi Moon-soon stated, "Along with supporting the establishment of Hogukwon, we will honor those who dedicated their lives to the country through funeral and ceremonial services until their last moments. The sacrifices of our national heroes will serve as the foundation for Gangwon to blossom into a land of peace and prosperity."
Meanwhile, there are 18,000 eligible national cemetery burial candidates residing in the Gangwon area (4.6% of the total), who have had to choose burial sites either at national cemeteries in other regions such as the National Cemetery in Icheon near Gangwon or in private cemeteries.
Over the past 10 years, 57% of deceased eligible for burial in Gangwon Province have been interred in national cemeteries outside the region.
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