Gyeongbuk Province to Establish South Korea''s First Forests for Burial under Trees

South Korea''s first forests for burial under trees are set to be established in the Kyeongbuk Province Arboretum based in Pohang, Kyeongbuk Province. In order to bring a solution to the problems of the country''s existing burial services, such as burial under the ground and laying a dead body''s ashes in a charnel house, they will be created in the Kyeongbuk Province Arboretum(an area of 3,222 ha) in Sangok-ri, Jukjang-myeon, Buk-gu, Pohang, according to Kyeongbuk Province on October 10.

The new type of burial service is rooted in the belief that it takes the dead back to nature in a more environment-friendly way. Its advantages are the prevention of national land erosion or the environment destruction, the resolution of problems arising from the lack of the public cemetery, the reduction of service costs, among others.

Since Switzerland introduced the burial under trees for the effective management of its small national land for the first time in the 1990s, it has been currently prevailing in Germany and Japan, gaining popularity across the world.

Accordingly, Kyeongbuk Province plans to select the creation of forests for burial under trees as one of its innovative tasks and to launch it starting from next year with an investment worth 10 billion won.

Also, the service duration of such forests will be basically 30 years, and will reach a total of 100 years with an extension of 30 years and 40 years, respectively upon the requests of the dead''s family, according to Kyeongbuk Province.

Translated by International Cooperation Division
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