Resting in peace with Mother Nature

Holding a summer umbrella, an elderly woman grieves at her husband's natural burial site in Incheon Family Park on Wednesday. About 70 percent of the lawn burial sites are occupied, showing this non-traditional form of interment is increasing gradually. Korea Times photo by Kang Aa-young

Natural burials gaining popularity amid criticism about lavish funeral culture

By Kang Aa-young

A tree burial site seen in Incheon Family Park. Tree burial sites there are fully occupied as of July, showing the growing popularity of natural burial. Korea Times photo by Kang Aa-young

An increasing number of Koreans are opting for natural burials, instead of traditional interment such as burials or cremation, following the loss of their loved ones.

According to a 2015 Statistics Korea survey of funerary customs, people who buried the ashes of their deceased family members or relatives in the earth topped with 45.4 percent, followed by placing the cremated remains in a charnel house (39.8 percent) and burials (12.6 percent).

Lee Jae-sook, who lost her husband in 2008, chose the "greener" option to help her husband rest in peace. She said she thought the green burial would be better for her deceased husband.

"I think he would have liked the site, as he used to love mountains," Lee said in a media interview in front of a chestnut tree under which she buried her husband's ashes in Incheon Family Park.

She visited her husband during Chuseok. Family members get together to pay tribute to their ancestors by visiting their graves and preparing meals for them.

Lee removed fallen chestnuts around the tree and poured an alcoholic drink around it with some fruit, joined by her son and other relatives to pay tribute to her husband.

"He is staying here forever under a tree, an option he would have liked if he were alive," said Lee Sae-hyun, the son of the deceased.

"Visiting my father here causes me to have feelings that are different from what I would have felt in traditional forms of interment. The site is accessible and we don't feel down when we visit this site."

Gil Byung-chun visited his mother during the national holiday. He also chose the natural burial option for his late mother.

Gil poured a drink onto flower bushes where his mother was buried. He said his mother's wish was to go back to nature.

"She is buried here with many others. She will be able to go back to nature," Gil explained.

There are several different types of natural burials ― some place the ashes under a tree in a grove, some in a field covered with grass, while some ashes are buried in a flower garden or a stone in a field.

More and more people have chosen green burials for various reasons. Some try to avoid a habit of holding ostentatious and lavish ceremonies, while others seek a simpler, practical way to pay tribute to the deceased.

But the alternative form of interment met a backlash from the conservative older generation which was raised under the heavy influence of Confucianism. In Confucian culture, descendents are educated to take care of their deceased ancestors just like they are still alive; cremation was forbidden in the old days.

But years later, Koreans have gradually switched their preference to cremations in the face of a shortage of burial space, a growing number of single households and the aging population.

Cremation, however, has its own problems. Often, families have to drive hours outside of Seoul to visit a crematorium.

Last year, about 84.2 percent of the dead were cremated in Korea, according to a report by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, up rapidly from 17.8 percent in 1991.

Though there are still some who choose to follow traditional interment despite soaring funeral expenses, the trend is shifting gradually to cremation.

There has been a shift in public perception toward burials and people nowadays prefer cremation to traditional burials since it is hygienic, convenient and less expensive.

As an increasing number of Korean people choose to have their deceased loved ones cremated, another problem has popped up. When it comes to cremation, most people choose to keep the ashes at large facilities called columbaria, which still require much space.

In response to the surging demand for cremation, the ministry encourages the public to shift their attention to natural burials.

A recent survey conducted by the Korea Funeral Culture and Policy Institute shows about 40 percent of people opt for natural burials.

People now prefer placing the ashes in the woods or at sea, or choose "natural burials," which means embalming techniques that aid decomposition, along with using biodegradable containers.

Among others, tree burials are gaining more popularity as it helps people make the most use of the territory. Recently, the late LG Group Chairman Koo Bon-moo's burial generated a buzz ― he was cremated and buried at a natural grave site in May. This is seen by the public as indicative of the late business tycoon's humble attitude.

Natural burials, however, have caused a stir as it triggered the illegal use of territory. Some burial sites violate the law.

People bury the ashes of the deceased in soil around trees or among plants to let them return to nature. No headstones or artificial decorations are used in the natural burial method, to preserve the environment.

An official from Incheon Family Park said citizens can use the site for up to 30 years with a payment of 500,000 won ($460) and attach a small name tag on a tree trunk if they want.