Yoon Jeong-min, Gwangju Seo-gu Council Member, Urges Establishment of 'Metropolitan Memorial Bus' Policy

Yoon Jeong-min, a member of the Seo-gu District Council in Gwangju Metropolitan City, urged the need for support and policy establishment for the ‘Metropolitan Memorial Bus’ for public funerals during a 5-minute free speech at the 1st plenary session of the 321st extraordinary meeting on the 9th.

Councilor Yoon stated, “Funerals are rituals carried out by those around the deceased rather than the deceased themselves, representing the final stage of ‘care’ in a lifetime. It is a culturally significant process where the soul of the deceased is comforted and those around them come together. As cases increase where there are no relatives centered on blood relations to conduct funerals due to ‘family dissolution’ and ‘socioeconomic difficulties,’ the support measures for public funerals are an important topic of discussion.”

Councilor Yoon continued, “The ‘Starlight Bus Support Project’ promoted by the Korea Funeral Culture Promotion Institute for public funerals is also experiencing increased applications due to the rise in unclaimed deceased persons, resulting in cases where support cannot be provided. In our metropolitan city, the number of unclaimed deceased persons has more than doubled from 44 in 2021 to 90 in 2023. Therefore, there is a need to support a ‘Metropolitan Memorial Bus’ that can be used jointly by five autonomous districts.”

In conclusion, he said, “Funerals are a process where those who have witnessed death comfort each other and strengthen community bonds. I request the executive branch and related parties to actively show interest and gather valuable opinions for the establishment of the Metropolitan Memorial Bus policy so that it can contribute to the peaceful repose of the deceased and the realization of the community value of mutual aid.”

The ‘Starlight Bus (Korea Funeral Culture Promotion Institute)’ is a bus created to provide consultation services on public funeral procedures and support funeral ceremonies from transportation to cremation facilities to the storage of ashes, prioritizing local governments facing difficulties in funeral support. The bus is equipped with a refrigerated storage space to transport bodies, and if a memorial room is needed, the bus’s interior can be used as a funeral hall.

Shin Dong-ho, Honam Reporting Headquarters, Asia Economy bless4ya@asiae.co.kr