South Korea: pet burials subsidized by public authorities

More and more Korean families want to have a proper funeral for their dog or cat, but it is expensive. So Seoul City Hall began distributing public subsidies to its less well-off residents.

Seoul City Hall explains that the emotional burden of a pet’s death needs to be better taken into account, especially for elderly people who live alone. The city says current official procedures are too cold. In South Korea, when your pet dies, families either throw it directly into the trash with other waste, or hand it over to a veterinary center, which also disposes of it, but with medical waste. In both cases, it is very painful.

So more and more people, when they can afford it, are having a real funeral for their pet. But it is expensive. The animal must be taken care of by a specialized company, which will take it to one of the cremation centers. They are all out of town. And there the carcass is prepared for the actual ceremony and its ashes collected to possibly be transfigured.

Between 150 and 300 euros per kilo for cremation

Seoul City Hall offers its residents, who have the lowest incomes, to cover part of the costs. It also suggests prioritizing help for its oldest residents who live alone. It’s an experiment that started in 2023, and the city originally planned to only subsidize 600 burials. The municipality created a transport service for dead animals. He takes care of the coffin, the trip to the crematorium and pays for part of the cremation, the price of which is calculated according to the weight of the animal. Cremation costs 150 to 300 euros per kilogram.

If the owner wants additional services, it is their responsibility. What is done a lot in the country is to turn your pet’s ashes into some sort of memorial stone. The ash is either compacted or boiled at high temperatures to turn it into glass balls that you can keep in a small wooden box in your living room.

Do some owners go too far?

These funerals for dogs and cats are a growing phenomenon in Korea. One in four households has a pet in the country. IThe nature of these ceremonies is still debated. Korean social media this week wondered if some owners were going a little too far. Ceremonies are now held where the owner invites friends and asks for donations for the funeral. In Korea, there is a tradition of human funerals, you always donate a small white envelope full of new banknotes in solidarity. But netizens question whether it is reasonable to do the same when cremating a dog.