Gwangju City Speeds Up Construction of Public Comprehensive Funeral Facilities... Eases Resident Consent Requirement to 50%

Gwangju and Hanam Join Forces to Accelerate Construction of a Complex Funeral Facility

Gwangju City in Gyeonggi Province announced on the 24th that on the 23rd it promulgated a partial amendment to the “Ordinance on the Construction of Gwangju City Public Comprehensive Funeral Facilities” and will accelerate full-scale efforts to promote the construction.

Exterior view of Gwangju City Hall. Provided by Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi Province.

This amendment was prepared to encourage more active open calls for candidate sites and to expand resident participation. The main changes are as follows: ▲ lowering the resident consent requirement in open calls from 60% of household heads to a simple majority (50%) ▲ newly establishing a provision that allows consent via information and communications networks using electronic documents and electronic signatures ▲ creating a legal basis for the mayor to recommend candidate sites if open calls do not proceed smoothly.

The Gwangju City comprehensive funeral facilities are planned as a complex funeral facility on a site of 50,000 to 100,000 square meters, to be equipped with at least five cremators, an enshrinement facility, a natural burial ground, a funeral hall, and rest areas. In July 2024, the city signed a business agreement with Hanam City covering project costs, operating expenses, and related matters, and is currently conducting an open call for candidate sites.

The city will also provide various support benefits to the host area and neighboring areas. For the construction area (the administrative ri/tong where the facilities are installed), benefits will include a fund of up to 5 billion won, operating rights for revenue-generating facilities such as cafes, restaurants, convenience stores, and funeral halls, priority employment for facility workers, and exemption from usage fees. For adjacent administrative ri/tong, the city plans to provide a fund of up to 5 billion won and exemption from usage fees, and for the relevant eup, myeon, or dong, it plans to provide a fund of up to 5 billion won and a 50% reduction in usage fees.

Villages wishing to host the facilities must obtain the consent of a majority of household heads and submit a hosting application and required documents to the administrative welfare center of the relevant eup, myeon, or dong. The city plans to hold resident briefings to help residents understand the project if requested by a village.

The final site will be selected after comprehensive consideration of social, geographical, and economic conditions and will be confirmed through document and on-site evaluations by the “Gwangju City Comprehensive Funeral Facilities Construction Promotion Committee.”

Gwangju Mayor Bang Sehwan said, “Gwangju City currently has no cremation facilities, so citizens are paying high costs to travel outside the city for cremations and are experiencing significant inconvenience, such as funeral periods being extended to four to five days,” adding, “Since the comprehensive funeral facilities are essential for citizen welfare, we ask for your keen interest.”