"No Trace of the Burial Mound Under Tree Roots"... Isolated Graves With No Contact or Care [2025 Unclaimed Deaths Report ⑭]

Difficult to Identify and Manage "Unclaimed Graves"
Graves Become Unrecognizable as Trees Take Root
Months of Waiting for Possible Relatives Before Removal

On the morning of October 24th, at the Seoul Metropolitan Yongmiri No. 1 Public Cemetery located in Gwangtan-myeon, Paju, Gyeonggi Province, a yellow sign reading "If you are a relative, please report, as this is suspected to be an unclaimed grave" was placed among the overgrown weeds and bushes. Behind the sign, a tree had taken root in the grave, making it difficult to even recognize its original shape. Only after clearing away the branches did the faint outline of the burial mound become visible. The situation was the same on other paths through the thick vegetation. The burial mound that should have been behind the sign had almost completely collapsed, leaving only an old headstone to indicate the grave's location.

On October 24th, a sign indicating a suspected unclaimed grave was placed at the Seoul Metropolitan Yongmiri No. 1 Public Cemetery in Gwangtan-myeon, Paju, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Seungwook Park

These abandoned graves, left without relatives, have fallen into a management blind spot. However, it takes considerable time to designate and reorganize them as unclaimed graves due to strict procedures.

An unclaimed grave refers to a burial site that has no relatives or has not been maintained for an extended period. The Seoul Facilities Corporation, which operates the Yongmiri No. 1 Public Cemetery, conducts a comprehensive survey every five years in accordance with the "Act on Funeral Services, etc." to identify suspected unclaimed graves. If it is ultimately confirmed that there are no relatives of the deceased, the grave becomes subject to exhumation.

On October 24th, a tree grew over a grave located at Seoul Metropolitan Yongmiri No.1 Cemetery in Gwangtan-myeon, Paju, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Seungwook Park

The problem is that the process from identifying suspected graves to actually exhuming them takes a long time. Most abandoned graves occur because the relatives have passed away or have given up maintenance due to aging. The corporation first places a notice sign and attempts to contact relatives by phone, but often fails to reach anyone.

Even if contact cannot be made, the grave cannot be immediately cleared. An official from the corporation said, "There are many cases where people do not answer the phone," and added, "Most are presumed to be unclaimed graves, but we cannot designate them as such right away." The official further explained, "We have no choice but to wait in case someone contacts us in the future."

Afterward, an Unclaimed Graves Review Committee is convened, and about six months of verification are required before a grave can be designated for exhumation. Even after designation, two public notices of exhumation must be issued over approximately 100 days before the process can proceed. In total, it takes at least nine months or more.

On October 24th, in front of a grave at the Seoul Metropolitan Yongmiri No. 1 Public Cemetery in Gwangtan-myeon, Paju, Gyeonggi Province, there is a headstone. Photo by Seungwook Park

As of September this year, out of approximately 27,000 graves at Yongmiri No. 1 Public Cemetery, about 500 (1.8%) are unclaimed. In last year's comprehensive survey, around 650 suspected unclaimed graves were identified, but only about 30 were officially designated as such. In particular, unclaimed graves are concentrated in the non-designated burial area, where the last burial took place in 1998. The responsibility for managing graves in the non-designated area lies with the relatives, so if they do not maintain them, the graves are abandoned. As a result, staff members must manually clear the vegetation and visually check for the presence of burial mounds or headstones. This is why it is believed there are even more unclaimed graves that are not captured in the statistics.

The corporation stated, "Although there are many graves presumed to be unclaimed, we are following strict procedures to protect the rights of potential relatives," and added, "For the remaining suspected graves beyond the 30 confirmed cases, we plan to proceed with careful review and public notice before reorganizing them step by step."