By Park Chung, Korea Times
A woodland burial system is scheduled to go into effect from next year but initial confusion has pitted policymakers against environmental activists.
Civil activists claimed that the new burial system would ruin nature, as it will expand burial sites in forests.
“If woodland burial sites can be used as cemetery facilities, expansion of such sites will ruin forests to a great extent. In order to protect forests, the sites should not allow cemetery facilities,’’ said Byun Woo-hyuk, a Korea University professor and civil activist. “Woodland burial grounds should exclude graveyard facilities and instead be run and managed by laws that regulate forests and nature.’’
Park Bok-soon, an official of the Committee for Innovative Burial Culture, said that a thorough screening system should be introduced for the protection of the environment.
He added that the government or state entities should run the system on a trial basis at least for three years to minimize side effects when private managers take over the system.
According to a survey by the Korea Forest Preservation Committee, 58.5 percent of the respondents said that woodland burial grounds should be managed by government or state-run organizations as they worry about the rampant expansion of the burial grounds if religious or business organizations take charge of it. The current revision allows religious organizations as well as business organizations to run woodland burial grounds.
At the woodland burial sites, the name of the dead, dates of birth and deaths and names of the bereaved family members will be allowed. The National Assembly is now reviewing the bill.
Burial in woodlands or nature-reserve burial grounds is gaining popularity among those supporting natural burial. Usually a tree is planted, instead of headstone. The practice was seen to solve the problem of insufficient cemetery space, while at the same time protecting forests from the rampant establishment of cemeteries.
michelle@koreatimes.co.kr