Most Crematoriums in the Seoul Metropolitan Area Fully Booked Until August 22
Leap Month Tradition Drives Surge in Exhumation and Cremation Demand
Bereaved Families Forced to Seek Cremation Services in Other Regions
With the return of the leap month (Yundal) after two years, crematoriums across the country are experiencing a reservation crisis. Although crematoriums are increasing the number of exhumed remains they process daily during the leap month, these efforts are still insufficient to meet the soaring demand.
According to local governments on August 8, reservations for cremating exhumed remains at most crematoriums in the Seoul metropolitan area, including Seoul Memorial Park and Suwon City Yeonhwajang, are fully booked until the end of the leap month on August 22. Sejong City Eunhasu Park, the only crematorium in Sejong, has also filled all its slots during this period. Park (74) said, "I wanted to exhume my parents' graves in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province during the leap month, but there are no available crematoriums," adding, "Reservations are only accepted online, so I feel frustrated and don't know what to do."
The leap month, or Yundal, is an extra month added every two to three years in the lunar calendar to adjust for the shorter lunar year compared to the solar year. There is even a proverb that says, "Even if you stand a corpse upside down during the leap month, nothing will go wrong," reflecting the traditional belief that the leap month is a time when the spirits of the deceased do not have influence. As a result, the leap month is widely regarded as the best time to exhume graves and relocate remains, making crematorium reservations during this period as difficult as "plucking a star from the sky."
In fact, according to statistics from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the number of cremations of exhumed remains was significantly higher in leap years: 94,651 cases in 2017, 101,018 cases in 2020, and 119,463 cases in 2023. In contrast, the numbers for regular years were 50,618 in 2018, 50,777 in 2019, 53,433 in 2021, and 66,939 in 2022, which is about 30 to 40 percent lower than in leap years.
Most crematoriums are increasing their daily capacity for exhumed remains during the leap month. Seoul Metropolitan Seunghwawon has raised its daily number of exhumed remains cremations from 18 to 38 after the leap month began. A representative from Seoul Memorial Park also said, "We have tripled the daily number of exhumed remains cremations for the leap month, but it is still not enough to meet demand."
Some families are even traveling to other regions for cremation. Funeral director Choi (39) explained, "Reservations at crematoriums in Seoul and Gyeonggi are fully booked a month in advance during the leap month, so some bereaved families have no choice but to go to provincial areas," adding, "When bereaved families who live outside the area want cremation, the fees are usually higher."
Although demand for cremation is rapidly increasing due to changing perceptions, expanding crematorium facilities is not easy. This is mainly because of strong opposition from nearby residents. For example, as plans to build a crematorium in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province are underway, more than 10,000 people have signed a petition on the "Gyeonggi Province Petition" board calling for a complete reconsideration of the Yangju City Comprehensive Funeral Facility project.
Some experts point out that the cultural practice of concentrating exhumations and cremations during the leap month itself needs to change. Heo Changdeok, a sociology professor at Yeungnam University, said, "The tradition of exhuming graves during the leap month is rooted in the time concepts of agrarian society," and added, "In modern society, practicality is more important, so the government and local authorities need to take the lead in changing perceptions so that exhumations and cremations can be spread out throughout the year, not just during the leap month."
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