Groundbreaking for Third National Cemetery 'Yeoncheon National Cemetery'... Completion Targeted for 2027

Preparing for Ongoing Burial Demand
with Expansion of Hoengseong and Jangheung Memorial Cemeteries

The 'National Yeoncheon Cemetery,' which will be the third national cemetery following the National Seoul Cemetery and the Daejeon National Cemetery, is set to break ground for the first time.

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs announced on April 23 that on April 24, a groundbreaking ceremony for the Yeoncheon National Cemetery will be held at the project site in Sinseo-myeon, Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province. The event will be attended by Minister Kang Jeongae, lawmaker Kim Sungwon, Yeoncheon County Governor Kim Deokhyeon, heads of veterans' organizations, and about 200 other participants.

The Yeoncheon National Cemetery will be constructed on a site of approximately 957,000 square meters in Daegwang-ri, Sinseo-myeon, Yeoncheon County, Gyeonggi Province. The total project cost is 129.8 billion won, and the cemetery will include a columbarium (25,000 niches), a memorial wall (20,000 niches), and a natural burial area (5,000 plots), providing a total capacity for 50,000 remains, with completion targeted for 2027.

In particular, the Yeoncheon National Cemetery project is being promoted in an environmentally friendly manner by minimizing forest damage such as tree felling and focusing construction on existing rice paddies and fields. Once completed, the cemetery is expected to provide seamless burial services for national patriots and veterans residing in the Seoul metropolitan area.

Currently, there are approximately 340,000 people eligible for burial in national cemeteries, but with a remaining capacity of only 110,000, there is a shortage of about 230,000 niches, making the creation of additional burial sites necessary. In response, the Ministry plans to address ongoing demand through the construction of the Yeoncheon National Cemetery (50,000 niches), the new National Hoengseong and Jangheung Memorial Cemeteries (a total of 33,000 niches: 20,000 in Hoengseong and 13,000 in Jangheung), and the expansion of facilities at the National Yeongcheon, Imsil, and Icheon Memorial Cemeteries this year, which will secure an additional 100,000 niches.

Minister Kang Jeongae stated, "I find it very meaningful that we are breaking ground for the Yeoncheon National Cemetery, which will ensure the nation honors those who dedicated their lives to the country with the utmost respect." She added, "The Ministry will make every effort to establish the Yeoncheon National Cemetery not only as a dignified burial and memorial space for national patriots and veterans, but also as a 'veterans culture space' that citizens can visit in their daily lives, and as an 'educational space' where future generations can learn about the patriotic spirit of those who defended the nation."

Meanwhile, those eligible for burial in national cemeteries include the President, patriotic martyrs, independence activists, wounded and disabled veterans, among others.