Cremation rate nears 95% in S. Korea; facility shortage feared amid rapid aging

SEOUL -- The cremation rate in South Korea continues to be on a steady rise, data showed, prompting concerns over potential shortages of cremation facilities, especially in densely populated major cities, such as Seoul, amid the rapid aging of the population.The national cremation rate came to 94 percent in 2024, up from 92.9 percent a year earlier, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK) and the welfare ministry on Sunday.The figure has been on a constant increase over the past decades, rising from 33.5 percent in 2000 to 67.5 percent in 2010 and further to 89.9 percent in 2020…READ FULL ARTICLE