The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs announced on the 23rd that it will break ground for the National Yeoncheon Cemetery, the third cemetery following the Seoul National Cemetery and the Daejeon National Cemetery. The groundbreaking ceremony will be held on the 24th.
The Yeoncheon Cemetery will be established on an area of approximately 957,000 square meters (about 290,000 pyeong) in Daegwang-ri, Sinseo-myeon, Yeoncheon County, Gyeonggi Province, with a total capacity of 50,000, including columbariums (25,000), designated burial sites (20,000), and natural burials (5,000). The total project cost is 129.8 billion won, and the target completion year is 2027.
The target for burial in the cemetery includes the president, fallen heroes, patriots, and veterans. According to the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, there are currently about 340,000 people eligible for burial in national cemeteries, but only 110,000 burial spots are available. This situation necessitates the creation of additional burial sites due to a shortage of approximately 230,000 columbarium spaces.
The Ministry of Veterans Affairs plans to secure burial capacity through new construction projects for the Yeoncheon Cemetery and the Hoegukwon in Hoengseong and Jangheung, and expansion projects for the Yeongcheon, Imsil, and Icheon Hoegukwon.